Happier
by Awakening5
Summary: He was willing to do anything for her, even give his life. But after Link does everything for Zelda, he realizes the one thing he can't do is unrequitedly or impossibly love her. ZeLink
1. Prelude: The Rescue

This does not follow a specific game, though names and locations are borrowed from different games.

Enjoy _Happier_

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Link lifted himself up onto all fours from his stomach. He could hear Ganondorf cackling in the distance, though his hearing was certainly impaired. Sure enough, as he lifted his hand up to his right ear, he felt the warm, moist liquid that he had grown to know intimately as blood. Fighting the dizziness that was overcoming him, he looked up to see Ganondorf strutting towards him.

"I must admit," he grinned, condescendingly. "You made it much further than I expected. Uncovering the seven keys, guarded by my precious beasts, to open the portal to my kingdom in the Dark Land. And for what?"

He stopped a few feet in front of Link. Turning around abruptly, and lifting his hands in the air, he said, "a princess?" Hovering above them, nearly twenty feet in the air, was a large, pink crystal. Inside of it was Zelda, frozen in time.

Ganondorf turned back around and crouched down to where Link panted, hunched over on all fours. His voice dropped to a menacing and cruel octave. "Don't you worry. She won't go to waste. I can think of a few uses for her before I expand my kingdom into Hyrule.

"Thanks for the entertainment, Link. I'll just have to finish you off now."

As Ganondorf slowly and dramatically reached for his sword, Link exerted all the will power in his frame to give one last push. One last fight, to save Zelda. To save Hyrule. Surely, he had the strength within him. But alas, his body was spent. He was already near exhaustion when he finally reached Ganondorf. It had hardly been a fair fight. However, courage could not save him now.

"Listen!" he heard. Normally he would be annoyed by his fairy trying to lecture him. But in this moment he was just glad to end his life with a friend nearby.

"This is it, Link," Dara whispered in his ear. "If you die, I will too. So, I might as well use my life to give you one more chance. Thanks for all you've taught me. I love you Link!"

Before Link could object, and just as Ganondorf was raising his sword over Link's hanging head, Dara leapt into Link's chest, extinguishing her own light, but giving Link a new one. The sudden energy and adrenaline rocketed Link forward instinctually. He rolled forward just as the sword came down on the stone behind him. The clang echoed throughout the chamber and Link leapt to his feet, grabbing the Master Sword from where he had dropped it moments before.

The two Triforce wielders stared at each other. Ganon's mouth had dropped and just a hint of fear shown in his eye. "I don't understand," he began. "I broke you!"

"You may have hurt me and knocked me down," Link stated. "But the spirit that drives me…the love that I have for my friends and my friends have for me…the courage that you can never possess…it will never die. I will continue fighting you until you expire!"

Lifting the Master Sword once more, this time with a strength he had never before felt, Link charged.

Ganondorf sensed something was different than their first fight—that Link was much stronger now. He fought with no more swagger. Instead, his attacks were almost desperate. Ganondorf backed up continually as he hurled purple energy blasts at Link. Link batted the evil power away with his sword simply as he continued his assault. Their blades met, and the forward motion of Link caused the back-pedaling Ganondorf to stumble backwards onto his back. Leaping forward, Link aimed his sword down, and thrust downwards with all his weight.

The blade stabbed square in Ganondorf's chest as he hit the ground. Right where a heart would have been, had it existed.

Ganondorf's eyes widened, as blood seeped through his useless armor. Mouth open and bleeding, Ganondorf managed the words, "It doesn't end like this…"

Link was about to reassure him, when Ganondorf began chuckling again. Terrifyingly, his mouth turned into a wicked smile, and then his back suddenly arched as he screamed in pain.

Link backed up slowly as the body of Ganondorf began growing and changing shape. The cackling laughter became deeper and deeper. Finally, a menacing booming laugh presented Ganon, a giant monster at least 10 times the size of Link. He resembled a giant hog, with enormous tusks that looked razor sharp, and teeth to match.

"You may have courage, Link. But I have Power!" The monster stood on its hind legs and let out a roar. As Link's gaze followed the monster upwards, he saw the crystal floating above them. And he looked quickly back at the Master Sword, knowing it was the one counter to the great power Ganon held.

"And that power will be your downfall, Ganon!" Link swung his arm upward, releasing the sword at its apex.

Link and Ganon watched as the sword flew upwards and struck the crystal above them. It fastened itself into the crystal and a light burst from the collision. A moment of silence followed, in which Link held his shield above his head, for he figured what would follow.

A deafening shatter shook the chamber as the crystal broke into hundreds of smaller crystals, each with sharp, jagged edges, and fell to the earth below.

Unable to protect himself from an aerial assault, Ganon tried to back out of the crystal's radius. But he and it were too big, and the crystals thundered downwards, stabbing him along his back and head, gouging out one of his eyes.

Zelda hovered momentarily in the air before falling to the earth. Link sprinted forward, jumped off a screaming Ganon's tusk, and caught her in midair, lessening the force of the fall to her body.

With Ganon's shrieks of pain behind him, Link rushed forward to get the semi-conscious Zelda to safety. Getting her around a corner, he set her down gently, looked briefly at her beautiful face as her eyes fluttered open to see him, and turned right back around.

Ganon was furious and in pain. Link walked slowly toward him, and picked up his sword, knowing Ganondorf would be unpredictable. Sure enough, he began charging Link, head lowered, tusks pointing right at Link.

Link rolled out of the way quickly, but not before he noted a blind eye, and several open wounds, surely vulnerable spots of attack. Ganon slowed to a stop and turned around wildly as Link got in position.

Ganon charged again, and Link ran to his left, in the same direction as Ganon's blind eye. Unable to see to his right, but knowing that was the direction Link ran in, Ganon followed blindly. His charge led him right into a load-bearing column. The force of impact effectively knocked Ganon on his side and the column into pieces. Link attacked the bleeding back, trying to find the heart in the monster to deliver a fatal blow.

It proved unnecessary, as the ceiling began to shake without the column's support. Link looked up in horror as the ceiling shifted around on the remaining columns, little chunks of rock began falling from above. He turned and ran back to where he laid Zelda down. She was already standing and peering around the corner, the magic of the crystal seemingly worn off. He grabbed her hand and continued running, turning the corner and running for the exit.

Ganondorf's castle perched majestically upon a hilltop, with cliff on three sides of the castle and only the one entrance. Reaching that door and getting down the hill was Link and Zelda's only chance of surviving the collapsing building.

A great roar sounded behind them, and Link looked behind his shoulder to see Ganon had gotten up and was turning the corner thirty yards behind them.

"Keep running, Zelda. I'll catch up. The portal is at the bottom of the hill, in the Dark Temple." She nodded and kept running while Link turned around and pulled his bow out.

One, two, three arrows unleashed. The first stuck into Ganon's left leg. The second, closer to its mark, went through Ganon's ear. The third hit home, blinding Ganon completely as it went right into his eye.

Link's victory was short lived, however, and the roaring Ganon did not slow down. Link maneuvered to his left as the monster approached, reached out to grab the tusk at its base, and swung himself on the head of Ganon, who seemed in too much pain and panic to notice or care that there was an additional weight on his head. Ganon was still headed straight for a retreating Zelda, who was nearing the exit, so Link pulled on the creature's head to steer him right.

With the building falling to pieces behind them, Link held his shield in front of him as Ganon charged out of one of the large windows lining the great hall. Weightlessness encompassed Link as they began falling. It would be a three hundred foot drop to the bottom, and Link was sure neither would survive. In a last ditch effort, Link pulled out his grappling hook while leaping off the falling Ganon, turning in mid air, and shooting. For three eternal seconds, Link waited, falling, hoping the chains would be long enough to reach, and the hook would find something to grab on to.

The hook found vines, which were growing up the side of Ganondorf's castle. The chains reeled in, and Link wondered if he wasn't headed to as sure of a doom as the plummet would be. The building was teetering precariously, large chunks of the roofing coming off the edge and falling the three hundred feet below.

His eyes following a particularly large chunk downward, Link watched as Ganon fell the remaining distance and hit the ground. The dust cloud that arose would be the last thing that the monster would disturb, and for that Link felt accomplished.

Not all was done, however. Link didn't know how much time the building had before the collapse would be complete, but he hoped that Zelda had reached the outer staircase and was on her way down the hill from the cliff where the castle perched.

Instead, as the grappling hook finished pulling him in, and he tried to lift himself back into the building, a slender hand reached down to help him up into the great hall. He took it, surprised, confused, and a little angry that she had returned. After she helped pull him up, and they began sprinting for the exit, he managed to shout, "Why did you come back! You could die in here!"

She chanced a glance at him and responded between heavy breathing. "Neither of us will be dying today!"

And she was right. They reached the exit as the castle came down, rushed down the stairs as debris and dust consumed them, and ran down the hill, leaving the enormous cloud of dust behind them.

The two collapsed onto the ground, exhausted. They lay at the bottom of the hill, gasping for breath, heavily panting until Zelda leaned up on her elbow. "Thank you for coming, Link." Her voice was a whisper, so very different from the chaos they had just left.

Link managed a small smile. "I couldn't exactly leave you with him, now could I?"

Their eyes met, and Link knew everything would be okay. Even though his injuries were so severe that he would surely die without immediate treatment. Even though the effect of Dara's sacrifice was only a temporary boost of life and energy, without actual healing happening. Even though Zelda, looking panicked, was now shouting his name and he couldn't hear her. Even though his eyes were closing and he had no power to keep them open.

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Let me know what you think. A lot of this story is already written, but your input can help me improve it.


	2. Hyrule Castle

I first want to thank those who reviewed. It makes me want to write more, and improve my writing as well!

Enjoy the next Chapter of _Happier_!

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Link's eyes opened again, though he was not in the Dark Land when they did. He was in the Land of Light—in Hyrule Castle to be exact. The last time he was in this castle, he met Zelda for the first time, though their introduction had been a little rushed.

_The King was throwing a party in Castletown for the whole kingdom to celebrate Zelda's seventeenth birthday. It was Link's first time to the town not on business, and he was excited to explore the town—and maybe even see the princess. Link noted that the princess was late to her own party, probably getting dressed for the occasion. Link would later count this as a blessing, because Ganondorf attacked when the party was to officially begin. He announced his arrival with an explosion of purple energy in the bomb shop. The explosion was enough to send dozens of Hylians running away. Any who didn't immediately run were soon terrified as Ganondorf began wreaking havoc in Castle Town. He wielded a sword the size of Link's body, and tore kiosks and guards to shreds as he marched purposefully towards the King in the center of the town._

_ Link was one of the few people who didn't run away, but stood to fight. He grabbed a sword and shield from a fallen guard and charged Ganondorf. But he was soon blasted off his feet as Ganondorf held out his hand and hurled a ball of energy at Link. _

_Winded and breathing laboriously, Link shook his head and got back to his feet just in time to see the King's sword being hit from his hand by Ganondorf's mighty sword. _

_Link dizzily stumbled towards the king some twenty yards away, and could just make out the words, "I am Ganondorf of the Dark Land. I am here to take your kingdom. Bow before me and tell me where your daughter is hiding."_

_"I'll die first!" the king shouted._

_"That can be arranged."_

_Link shouted in horror as Ganondorf thrust his sword through the belly of the King. The King's eyes widened in pain and shock before he fell backwards, the sword sliding out of his body. Ganondorf chuckled before turning to the castle and began running._

_Link pulled out his bow, notched an arrow, and angrily pulled back and released. The arrow pierced Ganondorf's leg as he ran towards the castle. But he was too determined to turn around and take care of Link. Instead, he kept running, almost as if he didn't feel any pain._

_Link went to check on the king, and knew immediately the wound was fatal. _

_His Majesty's final words begged Link to save and protect his daughter, and revealed her room's location in the palatial castle._

_Link rushed to the castle behind Ganondorf, who had cut down several guards on his way. While Ganondorf went through the front gates, however, Link went to the side wall and began scaling the castle wall. According to the King, her room should be just three floors up. Fortunately, the castle bricks and stones made the climbing relatively easy, and soon he was at the window of her bedroom._

_ He clambered in through the window, and Zelda had a sword to his neck before he was standing upright. _

_Zelda would later explain to Link, during their ensuing journey, that she lowered the sword immediately because she could see in his eyes he was a pure man. _

_In as kind and gentle of words he could muster, Link warned Zelda of the impending danger. They heard screams coming from down the hall, verifying Link's story. Zelda grabbed his arm and rushed to a fireplace in her room. After pulling a lever, the back wall of the fireplace slid open, revealing a staircase. They used the escape route only she and her father knew existed, and it landed them at the rear of the castle. As they ran from the castle grounds into the forest behind, they looked back and saw Ganondorf from her third floor window shout down at them. _

_"I will find you, Princess Zelda. And Hyrule will be mine!"_

And after a couple of months, Ganondorf did find Zelda, and he took her back to his kingdom with the intent to perform a ceremony to merge his and her kingdoms. Fortunately, Link arrived before any more damage was done to Hyrule and saved the princess, as he had promised the king.

And now, his eyes opened once more in Hyrule castle, without any danger of Ganondorf harming Zelda.

"Zelda!" Link shouted, sitting upright immediately. It hurt to move, to breathe, and to keep his eyes open. And yet he needed to know she had made it here safely. He swung his legs out of the bed he was lying in and tried to stand up. It took him a moment to keep the room from spinning, but he managed and pushed through the pain to get to the door.

The door flew open just as Link reached for the handle and she was standing there. Dressed in her princess attire for the first time in over a month, Zelda looked radiant. Link knew she was beautiful. He had known before he had even met her—the whole countryside knew. He spent parts of two months with her as they simultaneously ran from Ganondorf and tried to destroy him through seeking the Triforce of Wisdom and Courage. But even now, she stood before him and he saw her as he never had before.

"Link!" she managed to gasp out, a smile replacing her shocked expression. Link reached forward and cupped her face in his hands.

Feeling her warm, soft skin in his hands was the final proof he needed. "Zelda, you're okay…" He brought her in for a warm and close embrace. She gladly returned the hug, but soon ended it.

"I'm okay?" she questioned incredulously. "Of course I'm okay! But you must be in such pain! Get back in bed right now."

The mention of pain brought it all back to him, and soon Link was gladly back in bed and sipping a red-hued potion at his bedside. "You go back to bed, now. And sleep for a couple of days. I'll be here when you wake."

Exhaustion and magical healing was soon overcoming Link. As consciousness faded once more, he heard himself mumble a response. "Nothing could make me happier for the rest of my life."

Days went by, and Link steadily got more and more healthy. The time came to mourn the loss of his best friend—the fairy he had had since he was a young boy. He mourned the lives he took of guards in the Dark Land who were merely doing their job. He mourned the lives of the scores of people killed or affected by Ganondorf's insidious plot.

But in the mourning there was joy. There was joy in the peace that had returned to Hyrule. Joy as families and communities came together to rebuild and find happiness. And joy because of the one constant in Link's mourning and joy—Zelda.

She was there each time he woke, as she promised. As Link had been there for her when she mourned the death of her father, she now returned the favor with the sacrifice of Dara. They talked about hope for the kingdom. They recounted horrors they had seen and laughed at the memories of some of the people they had met in their journey.

Soon, Link was up and walking around the castle with only a cane to steady the pain in his leg and keep upright when he had dizzy spells. They figured he had been concussed in his first battle with Ganondorf, and with time and rest would return to normal in a few weeks.

He and Zelda enjoyed a nice stroll around the castle each morning. Leaning on his cane, as they walked, Link asked, "So how exactly did you get me back here?"

Zelda glanced up at him and continued her leisurely pace. "Well, when you blacked out, I knew I needed to get to the Dark Temple and find the portal you told me about. So I used my magic to levitate you over to the temple…"

"You levitated me the whole way?" Link asked incredulously. "How could you make it that far? It must have been exhausting!"

They entered the courtyard, where a beautiful fountain stood before them. Zelda sat on a bench in front of the fountain and motioned for Link to sit down. He was grateful, because his head was starting to feel light.

"Well," she said slowly, and emotion filled her voice. "I could ask you the same thing. I have no idea how you even had the strength to arrive in the Dark Land, much less defeat that monster."

Link looked up into her face and responded. "When someone you care about is in danger…you find a new strength and energy you didn't know existed before."

She stared right back at him. "Exactly."

Link found that his hand was holding her on the bench between them. He didn't mind.

Zelda looked down at her lap and continued. "When I got through the portal, the priest of the Temple of Time was nearby and helped me get you to the Castle where our healers could take care of you."

Link squeezed Zelda's hand and spoke softly to her. "Thank you for saving me, Zelda."

Zelda stood up and laughed sarcastically as she walked away. "Right, because I was the one doing the saving."

Link smiled as he tried to catch up with her. "You did! I mean, sure…you were frozen in a giant crystal before I got there…but…"

Zelda slapped Link's arm. "He had the Triforce of Power!" she tried to justify.

"And you've got wisdom…where was that?" Link said, jokingly.

"You made me go against my better judgment, and he caught me in my weak moment."

Link recalled the moment that Ganondorf abducted Zelda—and she was right. It had been his fault. He had told her to stay behind, stay safe from a fight ahead. She wanted to come with him, but he wanted her to stay away from danger. How wrong he had been.

"Yes," Link said, more soberly. "I suppose that was my fault."

"Think of it as a compliment," Zelda said lightly. "Not many can make me change my mind."

A week passed, and Link and Zelda were enjoying a lunch together, as was often the case when Zelda was not attending to some duty of a princess.

"I don't know what you said to her," Zelda recalled, laughing. "But when I woke up she really did not like you. Mumbled to herself about your bossy attitude."

Link joined in the laughter, remembering their time in the Volcano town. "Oh, I think it was something about those stone beds they had us sleeping on. Gorons are…" Link trailed off when an elderly man walked into the dining room and cleared his voice.

Zelda looked politely up at the man, but it was clear she was slightly annoyed at his interruption. "Good afternoon, Dorson. How can we help you today?"

"Thank you, Princess. You see, I come with good news. In light of recent events, the Council of Elders has decided to have a celebration next week, assuming you are well enough." He looked pointedly at Link.

Surprised that he was the one they would be waiting on for the celebration, all Link could say was, "Me?"

The man chuckled lightly. "Well, of course you! As part of the celebration, the Council has voted and determined to dub you a knight!"

"A…knight?" Link managed. Never before had he imagined being a part of the Kingdom's honored class.

"After all you've done, the Kingdom would be happy with you as King!" the man said, only half-joking. "Well, what do you say?"

Link looked over at Zelda, who was smiling brightly at him. She nodded at him, motioning for him to respond.

"Oh, right. Yes, I'll be quite well by next week."

The Elder smiled at him. "Wonderful. We will take care of it all. No need to worry yourselves. We'll just meet with each of you about your roles and dress during the week."

Link would learn throughout the week that he was to be named Commander over the Hyrule military in his first knightly duty. And despite all that Link had been through, his adventures and life were only beginning.

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Thanks for reading. Please review! Even just as evidence that you read and want more. Thanks!


	3. The Coronation

Thanks again for the reviews. I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

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The night before the celebration found Link and Zelda sitting together in the courtyard. They chose to sit in the courtyard because Link was teaching more constellations to Zelda, as they had done a couple of times during their journey together. They sat very near to each other, so that their sides touched. That way, as Link pointed to different formations in the sky, Zelda could look right down his arm and find them.

"And that one," Link said, pointing to the southern sky," is called The Constant. It is the one star in the sky that does not rotate like the others. There is a story…I'm sure you know this already…"

Zelda was resting against Link's shoulder, and looked up at his face, just inches away when she responded. "I know of the star, but not the story that goes along with it. Please go on."

Link smiled and looked back up at The Constant. "It is said that our ancestors used to live farther north, on the other side of the Hyrule Mountains. This was before our people took to the skies, of course," he said, referencing a constellation he had taught her earlier.

"A great horror rose up and attacked the people, who were a simple folk. They prayed to the goddesses for aid, and the goddesses chose a young woman to lead the people to safety—a land they had prepared, called Hyrule. But no one had ever been able to get through the mountains, you see, so the young woman gave herself to the goddesses, asking them to guide her people through her. So the goddesses took her up into the sky and she shined for her people.

There was a young man, however, who was very much in love with her. And as he lead the people south, through the dangerous mountains, his goal was only partially to get the people to safety. His main goal was to get back to this woman—his constant in life."

"Did he ever reach her?" Zelda asked, looking back at Link's face again.

"After his people were safe and founded Hyrule, the man kept walking south. He kept following his constant. He journeyed until he came to the edge of the world, and leapt into the abyss, reaching for her.

"If you look closely, you will see a second star near The Constant. It continually circles The Constant, as if protecting her from all the other lights in the sky. Yes, he reached her, and they now dance together for eternity."

Link looked down at Zelda, and found she was still staring at him. He smiled at her before saying, "It's late. And we've got a celebration in the morning."

Zelda, as if on cue, yawned. She then hugged Link tightly around the waist and said, "You're right. I'll see you tomorrow." She stood up and waved to him as she walked off, up to her quarters. Link's gaze followed her until she disappeared around the corner. He released a breath of air he didn't realize he was holding, looked back up the stars, and sighed.

The next day, Link was fitted for a white tunic, made of the finest cloth in all the land. It was strange how just months earlier Link was a poor shepherd, and had never cared about his clothes as long as they kept him at a comfortable temperature. Odder still that just weeks earlier his clothes were being burned off his skin in a volcano, ripped to shreds in battle, or muddied up in weathered travels. And here he was now, with a professional tailor standing before him taking measurements.

One of the Elders of the Council entered the room as the tailor finished and spoke to Link in a hurried tone.

"Well, you've cleaned up quite nicely, haven't you?" He waited for no response, but pressed forward. "We've determined to combine your and Zelda's ceremony today. Not only will it save on costs and time in this time of rebuilding, but we thought it fitting given your combined efforts in staving off evil. Your merits were accomplished together; your rewards should be received together, as well."

"So Zelda will be a part of this ceremony as well?"

The Elder turned to leave as he responded. "Yes, of course. You will be first. And she will follow."

The man left the room before Link could even ask what she would be receiving. Perhaps some title to match her accomplishment.

Link shrugged it off and took one last look in the mirror in front of him. He did clean up well.

Hours later, he was shown into the Great Hall by one of the servants of the castle. He walked up to the front of the hall where only two chairs sat facing the rest of the seating in the hall. Many esteemed guests had already taken their seats, as well as about half of the Council of Elders.

Within minutes, however the Hall filled up until every seat was filled except Zelda's. Then Link saw her enter. Since he was the only one facing the entrance, he was the first to stand up. Link would be lying if he said he stood up because she was a princess and he was showing respect. No, he stood because the woman walking down the Great Hall was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen, and he wanted to have the best view possible.

She looked regal in her dress and crown, each with a Triforce emblem embedded. Her blonde hair framed her perfect face, and even from half the distance of the Great Hall, Link could see her deep, blue eyes and was lost in them.

Only in the deep recesses of his mind did he register that the whole hall was now standing. She made her way up the stairs in the front and to the other chair next to Link. She flashed Link a brilliant smile before taking her seat and motioning for the hall to do the same.

For twenty minutes, Link tried to pay attention as the presiding Elder commented on the unfortunate circumstance that led to the Council being the chief governing body of Hyrule. He paid homage to the late king but mentioned a bright future of leadership. He highlighted the heroics of Link and Zelda and declared Ganondorf's defeat a cause for celebration.

"And to reward Link with his invaluable courage and service, we, as a Council, have determined to knight him, and name him Commander of the Hyrule Military." Two other Council members stood, retrieved a sword for knighting and carried it to the chief Elder.

"We regret that without a king or queen, it is I who must knight you. However, we thought it appropriate that when our new queen is coronated tonight she have a knight ready to serve."

Link bowed his head instinctively, but his mind was not focused on the knighting taking place. He had just processed what the Elder said and could not think properly. Zelda was being made a queen. The Queen of Hyrule…

_Link and Zelda ran until they couldn't anymore. They then walked until they couldn't do that anymore either. With his tracking skills developed in trying to find lost sheep and hunt prowling wolves, Link left misleading tracks along the way and did his best to cover the real tracks. So when they reached a riverbed, Link felt safe stopping and resting._

_Up until this point, he and Zelda were so winded and cautious that he had only explained to her that the castle had been attacked and her father instructed him to get her to safety._

_Now he dreaded the conversation that would come after they caught their breath and quenched their thirst. _

_"How bad was the attack?" she asked, as they sat on large stones at the river side._

_Link sighed before responding. "I've never seen a man so powerful and ruthless. He killed anyone who stood in his way."_

_Zelda nodded. "Did my father stand in his way?"_

_Link looked up and into her eyes. It was the first time he truly got a good look at her. Her face was red from the running and dehydration, but she was still beautiful. But her eyes were sad. As Link looked closely, he knew she knew the answer. But she needed to hear it, so he needed to say it._

_"He stood up bravely once his guard had fallen and swung his sword. But this man—Ganondorf he said his name was—just hit it aside with his own sword like he was batting away a fly. When your father refused to give your location or bow to him, he killed him."_

_Zelda looked down as tears welled up in her eyes. Tiny water droplets fell from her face and moistened the rock on which they sat. Link, who didn't grow up with many people besides his uncle and aunt, didn't know how to best comfort her. So he simply moved over and wrapped his arm around her. She leaned into him, and for several long minutes she just sobbed._

_As the tears slowed and her body stopped shaking, she never apologized for her grief. Instead, she reflected on her father's grandeur. "He was a perfect leader. The Council would often tell him, 'you can't please everybody.' But he found a way. He knew just how to rule—when to be merciful or execute judgment. It takes a special wisdom to rule this land. It takes a special man."_

He loved her. And for a few foolish days he had forgotten somehow that she was a princess. He had entertained the thought of telling her he loved her. Of holding her. Of kissing her. Of marrying her.

But she was a queen, and deserved a king. Hyrule deserved a king. And that was one thing that Link was not. He was a shepherd and by some fate and fortune was now a knight. But wielding and waving a sword was no way to rule a kingdom. And sheep were Hylians not.

The Elder finished speaking and tapped Link's shoulders and head with the sword tip. He bid Link stand, which Link did reflexively, in addition to muttering, "thank you sir."

He knew his face had fallen—perhaps it looked depressed. Link hoped for the people's sake that he looked reverent or humbled, instead. But try as he might, he could not feel joy despite this honorable achievement.

As the Elder turned to Zelda, Link sat back down, unable to look her in the face. He didn't want to see the beauty that would never be his to gaze on. He couldn't look at the woman he loved but couldn't have. But alas, when the Elder finished speaking, and said, "…Queen of Hyrule," Link finally looked over. He was replacing her crown with a new crown. One that belonged to the Queen for countless generations. It was official.

In defeat, Link got down on one knee and bowed to his queen. The Great Hall again mirrored Link's gesture. Link looked up to see the Queen and was surprised that she was looking at him. On her face was an indiscernible expression. She, too, looked defeated. Sad. And if Link _had_ been able to discern that expression—heartbroken.

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Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!


	4. Memories

Thanks for the reviews everyone! I hope you enjoy this short and sweet chapter. This is finally the chapter that progresses the story to the point of the summary. Hehe...

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"…the youngest queen in Hyrule history!"

"Well, the youngest single queen. Don't forget fertile Myrtle…"

"Ugh…married at thirteen—to a forty-four year old man, no less—and had twelve children by the time she was thirty years of age. We would all do well to forget Myrtle."

"Those were different times, I suppose. But today is different now, too! Historically, princesses are not named queen until they are at least twenty-five years of age."

"Yes…but we have never seen a princess like Zelda until now. Wouldn't you say so, Sir Link?"

Link continued to push his food around on his plate for a moment before looking up at one of the Elders eating at the table with him. The ceremony-turned-feast had separated Link and Zelda to different tables, each with a handful of Elders to keep discussion boring.

Truth be told, Link was glad to be separated from Zelda. He didn't know if he would be able to sit through a whole meal with her next to him without going crazy. As it was, he was having a hard time eating anything or listening to the conversation.

"Sorry, what did you ask me?"

"Ha!" the Elder exclaimed. "The poor boy is in shock. It seems as though you have made history as well, Link. First shepherd to become Commander of Hyrule military that I can recollect. Anyways, the question was, 'would you say there has ever been a princess quite like Zelda?'"

The answer was simple. "No. And I highly doubt there will ever be a woman or queen like her again."

Link decided he had had enough. He needed to get out. He needed fresh air. He needed…

"Epona…" Link found himself saying, several minutes later. He had made his way outside of the castle and called Epona to him. He hadn't seen her since he entered the Dark Land to rescue Zelda. Link shook his head, trying to clear his head of Zelda. The great horse galloped nearer, and Link could hardly wait to go riding through Hyrule field.

Soon enough, he was flying through Castle Town, which was relatively quiet this evening. The sun set behind him as Link galloped across the drawbridge. He would likely have to camp in the field tonight because he didn't plan on returning before they brought the bridge up. Link slowed Epona down to a nice trot and looked around him, enjoying the beautiful land in which he lived.

_"It's okay, Zelda," Link said. "I broke Epona two years ago, and you couldn't find a better horse in all of Hyrule."_

_Zelda approached Epona, hand held out to pet her nose. When she made contact, Epona pressed into Zelda's hand. Link was surprised. It took most people hours with Epona before she would warm up to them. Then again, Zelda wasn't most people._

_"You want to take her for a spin before we start off to Goron Mountain?"_

_Zelda turned to Link with hopeful eyes. "Oh could we? I was hoping we could get to know each other before the long ride."_

_Link smiled and nodded. "I'll make us some lunch. Don't wear her out too much though. We've got a long day ahead of us."_

_Zelda mounted Epona expertly and with a few whispers and tug at the reins, they were off. Link gazed after her for a while longer than he meant to. It had been two weeks, yet Link was still figuring out who this princess was. Originally, he had expected a somewhat spoiled, entitled, beautiful brat to be accompanying him. He only got one description right. The princess was actually a capable and humble woman._

_She had slept on hard rocks, in cold tents without a complaint. She had eaten flavorless food and dirty water without a word about the cooks of the Castle—except when prompted by Link. She had traveled day after day in the hot sun—often in disguise—to find the origin of Ganondorf and the keys to his destruction without ever being deterred from her mission. She obtained the Triforce of Wisdom, and Link knew she deserved it, the way she led them through the confusing Forest Temple. All the while, she continually expressed abundant appreciation to Link and constantly told him he didn't need to help her and could return to his home if he wished._

_Link would not leave her, however. Not only had he promised the King to keep her safe, but now he wanted to as her friend. He cared for Zelda and wouldn't want any harm to befall her._

_Such were Link's musings as he cooked lunch. After half an hour had passed, Zelda returned with a large smile on her face. "You're right," she said. "Epona is the greatest horse in all of Hyrule." Epona neighed affectionately. "It is clear you have trained her with love."_

_"It's easy to love that horse," Link smiled. "Lunch is ready. And I am happy to say that this rabbit stew is looking mighty fine."_

_Lunch tasted great as well. As they ate, Zelda asked, "So where did you find Epona, Link?"_

_Link hesitated for a moment. He was not one to speak of his accomplishments, so he vaguely responded, "I found her in the forest near my home."_

_"And you just caught her and broke her?" Zelda inquired, curious._

_Hesitating again, Link finally said, "Well, she was already caught…and she practically broke herself."_

_Zelda's eyebrows were furrowed in confusion. "Already caught? _

_Link sighed softly. "You remember when the goblins came into Hyrule a few years back and caused a bunch of trouble? Well, I was walking through the forest when I found Epona caged and a few goblins were starting a fire, talking about eating her._

_"I grew up with a great respect for horses. They are beautiful and loyal creatures. So it didn't sit right with me that she would be made someone's meal._

_"When I approached the goblins, trying to make a trade for a couple of sheep or something, they attacked me. So I defended myself and freed Epona. She's been loyal to me ever since."_

_Zelda shook her head slowly. "The goblins were taken care of by my father over six years ago. You must have been twelve years old! How many goblins were there?"_

_"I don't kno—"_

_"Link," Zelda said knowingly and warningly, raising her eyebrows at me._

_"Seven," Link answered, and Zelda gasped. Link hurriedly explained, "They were weak from lack of food, I guess. And they stupidly attacked one at a time. Perhaps their pride was the reason they fell."_

_Zelda continued to shake her head slowly. "And that's the reason why you will never fall, Link. You're so gifted, but you don't acknowledge it."_

_Link gave a short laugh. "Speak for yourself, Zelda. I never could have gotten through that forest temple without you."_

_Zelda blushed slightly and looked down. "Sure you could have. You would have just used your sword a lot more and would be very sore right now."_

_They laughed together as they finished their meal and began packing up for the trip ahead of them. After saddling up Epona, Link hopped on her back and helped Zelda up behind him. She snaked her hands around his waist as they took off towards Goron Mountain, and Link smiled softly to himself._

Link was approaching Hyrule Lake and found himself holding his stomach where Zelda's hands had held him that day. He remembered the way her body pressed up against his and she would hold her breath when they jumped over obstacles or waded through the river. He shook his head once more, trying to rid himself of the thought of her. He hopped off Epona and gathered some stones.

As he began skipping rocks, he thought of the contest Zelda had created of who could make more skips. He had let her win because he liked the way she teased him and gloated jokingly. Link angrily threw the handful of stones he had into the lake and shouted, "Is there no freedom from your memory!"

He sat down on the ground and let out a long sigh. "Of course there isn't," he whispered to himself. "You're everywhere."

Link fell onto his back and looked up at the stars, finding the constellations he had showed Zelda as they lay side by side one starry night…

* * *

Let me know what you think!


	5. Distraction

I very much appreciate the great reviews you've given me. I especially appreciate when you let me know what it is you like or offer constructive criticism. While I have a story I want to tell, I want to tell it in a way that is best for you, so keep the reviews coming to help me refine my writing ability!

Also, there may be some confusion as to why Link thinks he can't be king. It isn't political at all, but he is simply insecure about his ability to lead a nation and feels Hyrule's well-being should come before his.

Also, someone mentioned Zelda's feelings on all of this. You'll have to infer what she's thinking from Link's point of view for a while, but in a few chapters you will get her story!

* * *

At about three o'clock in the morning, Link finally gave up on the notion of sleeping. He simply could not keep his mind from thinking of her. In the past, this was fine, because they were good thoughts. But now, every thought of her brought a pain he had never known before. He loved a girl whom he could never be with.

He had complete joy right in front of his face. He would be living in the same building as that source of joy. Yet he could not reach out and have it. Time and again, the hope—the dream—came that perhaps he could be the King. But the hope was completely selfish. He was no king, and even if Zelda _did_ want him, which he seriously doubted, there was not a chance he could lead a nation anywhere but into the ground. He could lead a military into battle—but not a kingdom into prosperity and happiness. And that's what Zelda's job was now. To lead her people to happiness. As fate would have it, she was sure to fail with one of her citizens—Link.

Link stood up and packed up the blanket he was failing to sleep in. He decided to leave Epona slumbering peacefully and try to distract his mind. The one thing he could think of that might distract enough was work. So, he made his way back to Castle Town.

The night air was cool, but he didn't mind. He had been through much worse in his travels. If anything, the cool helped him because it gave his mind something to concentrate on other than her. Unfortunately, everywhere he looked reminded him of her. Not necessarily because every blade of grass or every tree swaying in the wind had a memory of her attached to it, but because he was so obsessed with her that his mind latched on to every possible connection to her. And after a couple of hours of walking, he made it back to the castle, where the moat surrounding the castle made him think of the night she was to bathe, and he saw her in nothing but a thin towel.

Yes, Link reaffirmed to himself, he would need a distraction.

The drawbridge was drawn, and it was either a three hour walk through a river and treacherous forest around the back side of the Castle, or he would find a way over the walls, effectively measuring the capabilities of his military while he was at it.

Link walked for a few minutes around the outer wall before finding a good place. He waded through the moat to the city wall and began climbing. The water had been cold, and his feet were now slippery. Even so, he made it up the wall with relative ease. Link recalled the last time he scaled a stone wall like this. The first time he met Zelda…

The walls were about six feet thick, and at the top, there was a walkway for guards to patrol, with short, thinner walls on each side. As he neared the top of the wall, he expected to have to carefully time hopping on the rampart to avoid patrolling guards. However, as he peered over the wall, he found no patrolling guard.

This troubled him, but he hopped up onto the wall and began walking along its top, with thin walls on either side of him. For nearly a minute he walked until he found the first guard, who lay sleeping instead of keeping watch. Link took an arrow and etched, "you're dead" into the stones nearby, where the guard would surely see and realize how easy it would've been.

Link continued walking along the city's protection barrier only to find the next guard sitting with his back against the outer wall, throwing a ball against the inner wall. Link startled the young man as he began speaking. "You could at least be facing the outer wall, so you could see if an army was marching towards us."

The guard reached for his spear, but Link simply shook his head. "You'd be dead if I wanted to kill you. Don't strain yourself on my account. What's your name?"

The man got to his feet and grabbed his spear anyways and pointed it at Link. "Who wants to know?"

Link smiled, drew his sword and flung the spear over the edge of the wall before the young man could blink. Link waited for the splash of the spear hitting the moat before saying. "I'm Link, your new Commander. What's your name?"

The young man took a quick breath and stood up straighter. "Mako, sir."

Link found it strange, just for a moment, that this man, who was likely a year or two older than Link, would call him sir.

"Well, Mako. I'm grateful you were at least awake. And that you didn't remain sitting when a stranger approached you at your station. However, you should not have a station. You should be patrolling, am I right?"

The guard shrugged. "I guess that's what we're supposed to be doing, but Sergeant has never really made us do it. Nothing ever happens, so I guess he figures—"

"Nothing ever happens?" Link interrupted. "Less than three months ago, the king was killed in the middle of what should be the safest place in Hyrule! And you say nothing happens?"

Mako stuttered nervously. "Well…I didn't mean that…not at night…and he was, Ganondorf that is…he's not really…he couldn't be stopped, I mean."

Link held up his hand. It effectively silenced the man. "I stopped him. I'm not saying the man wasn't incredibly powerful. But you, the guards, were scattered, hardly fighting as a unit. You weren't trained well. You raised no alarm. So, no…it's not that he couldn't be stopped. It's that you couldn't stop him."

There was a long moment of silence before Mako broke it. "Yes, sir."

"I thank you for your service, Mako. We will be changing things around here, and I would appreciate it if you helped set an example for the other guards. We'll be getting some new recruits as well, and I hope that they don't learn to play around during their shift from you."

"No, sir. Thank you, sir."

"Goodnight, Mako."

"Goodnight, sir."

As Link clambered down a ladder, leading to the inside of Castle Town, he happily realized that he had been distracted. Maybe, just maybe, he could get through this trial by jumping headfirst into his new work. He would exert as much time and energy to this calling as mind required for distraction.

He decided he would be the greatest commander Hyrule had ever seen.

_For over three weeks, Link and Zelda had been getting more and more comfortable around each other. It was just a natural consequence of spending nearly every hour of every day together. And for the most part, Link enjoyed this very much. They knew of each other's childhoods and upbringing. They understood the other's hopes and dreams. Link was terrified to learn that Zelda's greatest fear had already occurred in losing her father. Zelda seemed suspicious but impressed that Link could not honestly think of a fear he had._

_"Maybe women," Link had said jokingly. _

_Zelda laughed before responding quietly, "I think you do just fine."_

_However, with the closeness, there were certain boundaries Link could not cross. For example, he required complete solitude when excreting waste. Fortunately, Zelda felt the same. Another boundary Link had thought to exist was complete privacy while bathing. _

_This boundary was still in place, but was steadily eroding. Two weeks earlier, Zelda would take the cloth they used for a towel, disappear for thirty minutes, and come back looking almost the exact same, but with wet hair. But over the weeks, they had become more comfortable with each other's presence. _

_Link likely started it a week earlier, when he realized his tunic was extremely dirty while bathing and washed it. He then came back to the campfire with the towel wrapped around his waist with nothing else on while his clothes dried. Zelda had been surprised initially, but like everything else, they quickly got used to it._

_Now, they were halfway up Goron Mountain resting for the night near a hot spring they found. Alternating nights, it was Zelda's turn to bathe. Link stared deeply into the fire, trying not to think of Zelda behind the tent. It was obvious she was stripping down, and would wear just the towel down to the spring to bathe. Link determined to stare at the fire the whole time, not just to give Zelda her privacy, but also to keep his thoughts from drifting too much._

_Unfortunately, Zelda came out from behind the tent and walked towards Link._

_"Could you hand me the soap, Link?"_

_On their way to Goron Mountain, they stopped in Kakariko Village for basic supplies, including food, proper sleeping attire, another set of clothing, and soap and mouth wash. Link thought it would make the rest of their journey much more pleasant._

_And as Link turned to look at the woman asking him the question, it was quite pleasant. The proper towels they had picked up in Kakariko Village were quite thin, and showed off Zelda's curves a little too nicely for Link. The towel was fastened just below Zelda's arms, revealing flesh that Link had never seen. The moonlight and firelight danced on Zelda's creamy skin, as her hair fell smoothly over her bare shoulders. The towel came to a stop well above her knees, showing off long and shapely legs that had been hidden by Zelda's dress for weeks._

_"Uhh…yea," Link cleared his throat. "Yea, just a second."_

_Link turned around as he felt his face heat up and reached for the saddle bag to his side for the soap. He turned back to Zelda, unable to meet her eyes, and held the soap out to her. As she grabbed the soap, her hand brushed against his and sent an unfamiliar tingling up his arm. _

_"Thanks," she smiled, and turned around, trotting towards the spring. Link could not take his eyes off the retreating form until she disappeared behind a large rock, where she…_

_Link shook his head. He couldn't think about that. He couldn't think about her being just a stone's throw away, bathing in the hot spring. He stared back into the fire, but that didn't help. He could not keep certain images from popping into his head._

_He needed a distraction. He looked around desperately, looking everywhere but towards the spring, until his eyes landed on his bow and arrow._

_"I'll practice," he mumbled to himself. Link had always been an excellent shot, but he couldn't help but remember the arrow he fired at Ganondorf's retreating form, some weeks earlier after he had sliced into the King. The arrow had been short and left. Had it hit its mark, Ganondorf may have fallen that day._

_So Link grabbed his bow and a quiver of arrows and walked in the opposite direction to shoot target after target. He shot moving targets, such as birds, and faraway stationary targets on the mountainside. For thirty minutes he practiced, becoming more and more confidant in his accuracy, and reflecting on the shot he had fired at Ganondorf._

_This proved to be the distraction he needed, and when he returned to the fire, Zelda had already returned and was completely dressed. She had ditched the dress, however, in lieu of a more form-fitting garb used by the Sheikah, which she had received in Kakariko Village._

_Link decided he would be the greatest archer Hyrule had ever seen by the end of this quest…_

* * *

There you have it. Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think!


	6. Falling

Sorry this one took a little more time than the past have. School seems to get in the way some times...

Enjoy!

* * *

Time was a fascinating thing. How can one day seem longer than another, when they are, by definition, the same amount of time? How could an hour pass without realizing it? How could a week feel like an eternity?

A whole week passed before Link saw Zelda again. This was by Link's design, of course. He had been summoned three times for lunch, but declined each time. He put the blame on how much work he had to do. This was true, of course, but Link was sure he could make the time if he wanted. But he didn't want to be around Zelda. He thought that a week or so with focus on work would help him get over her.

He was mistaken. While immersed in work, Link could successfully distract himself from too-frequent thoughts of Zelda, but he was kidding himself if he thought it made him love her less. It made his non-working hours miserable, and it made his work less enjoyable than it otherwise might have been.

Nonetheless, it had been his hope. When the week dragged on for years, he determined complete avoidance would not be the solution. Besides, he needed to discuss certain issues with her.

"Link!" the Queen said happily when he entered her workroom. It was furnished with a large desk situated in the middle of the room, chairs on either side of the desk, one for her, and several on the other side for those she met with.

Link sat and gazed around the room. His feet rested on a comfortable rug, while the walls were adorned with beautiful art. The windows let in the sunlight to highlight the beauty of the room. Link smirked as he thought of his own workspace: a single, small room—its own building—off to the side of the training fields. It was plain, with no art, stone floors, and windows that were not clear enough to allow in adequate light.

"Queen," Link responded.

Zelda scoffed. "Oh, Link. Don't you dare call me that. I would think our relationship is stronger than these titles, don't you?"

Link smiled and nodded, but inwardly scowled. She would not make it easy for Link to distance himself and try to keep a professional relationship with her. Link had hoped that if his friendship with Zelda took a step backwards to make room for their new duties, his feelings would diminish. But now he realized Zelda might not let that happen too easily. With the constant invitations to lunch and now the warm greeting, Link didn't see an easy way out. And for that, half of him was grateful.

"So, tell me how you've been, Link."

Link hesitated for a moment. The answer to her question briefly popped into his mind. Miserable. It felt like he was falling from a great height—scary, endless, and with his stomach constantly in his throat. Link then thought to just respond in a short and nonchalant manner.

How time had changed things. A week ago, he would have gladly enjoyed a long conversation with her, in which he would tell her of the monotony of work or the funny experience he had had with Mako. She would explain the hardships of being stuck in a castle going over tax reforms and acting as judge over trivial cases when she'd rather be out riding her horse.

But that was before he decided to get over Zelda. And every minute of conversation with her had him fall more for her. To hear her problems and want to fix them or to hear her laugh and want to do anything to hear it again…that was not good for him. He needed to keep the relationship as professional as possible.

"Fine, thank you," Link responded. And before Zelda could interject, Link continued. "I've been going over the taxes devoted to the military, and I've found some problems."

Zelda looked taken aback at Link's brevity and down-to-business approach, but responded accordingly. "Okay, what are they?"

"Simply put, I don't know where the money has gone. The Gorons and Zoras each pay a fee to have us protect them from outside forces. Termina, Locklia, Traland, and now the Dark Land which we didn't even know existed five months ago could attack either of those lands, and we wouldn't hear about it for two days! Where is that money going? Also, the Kingdom averages twenty percent tax on its subjects, and yet the military doesn't see more than two percent. I would think that national security would rank a little higher on the list."

Zelda frowned. "Yes. I agree. I see you've got more?"

Link handed over a long parchment which he had spent the better part of the week drafting. "This has many of the details, but in summation, this is a funds request, including a budget and timeline for preparing an adequate army for Hyrule."

Zelda peered quickly through the plans. "I see you've been hard at work, Link."

They sat in silence for a long moment as Zelda read quickly through the plans, mumbling the main points as she went. "Mandatory army training for all able men, funds for month of training, they return to their homes and jobs, but can be called on in time of war." Zelda looked up. "Why not just have a professional army at all times?"

"We will," Link responded. "But it will only be large enough for basic defense and communication. Not only would a larger organization be more costly, but less efficient, as we speak through ten commanding officers before the one carrying out the order gets the message."

Zelda nodded, and Link continued. "However, war time may come, and I think it wise for all men—who would have to fight anyway—to be trained and capable warriors."

"Very well," Zelda said. "I will look into this more in depth, counsel with the Elders, and get back to you by the week's end."

"Thank you, Zelda." Link stood up and turned to leave, but before he took two steps, Zelda's soft voice reached his ears.

"Link…" He stopped, closing his eyes slowly, and turned around. "Something is the matter. What is it?"

Link sighed and looked back at her.

_"Get behind me, Zelda!" Link shouted, gazing up at the fire monster in front of him. The monster was a huge snake-like creature, but its skin would flap open along its body and fire would emit. So, attacking from behind or the side was out of the question._

_The enormous monster would periodically strike the ground, causing giant rock formations to thunder down from the cavern roof above. Dara, Link's fairy, pointed out that striking the ground left the monster stunned for a moment, so if there was a time to attack the head, it would be then._

_But Link was having a difficult time addressing the monster in front of him with Zelda unsafe behind him. There was hot lava surrounding them, stones falling from above, and small monsters would emerge from the lava to attack them. Link knew Zelda could take care of herself, but that didn't stop him from worrying and being distracted by her presence._

_For twenty long, exhausting minutes, Link fought the beast, getting in several decent shots, and suffering only a mild burn. Meanwhile, Zelda was using his bow to take out the smaller enemies that tried to attack. But then, everything changed in a moment. The great monster flopped to the ground with a powerful force, shaking the whole cavern. As was necessary before moving in for the attack, Link looked up to see if any stones were about to fall on him. What he saw terrified him._

_A stone the size of Epona had dislodged and was headed straight for Zelda. As Link's eyes darted downwards, he shouted for Zelda to get out of the way. She had been unable to look up because she was fighting off a fire bat, but heard Link shouting and jumped away from him. The stone came down and landed right where she had been standing._

_Link gazed on in fear, not knowing if she had reacted quickly enough or jumped far enough away. But he couldn't see her getting up, so he feared the worst._

_Tightening his hold on his sword, he charged the monster, still lying on the ground, stunned from the impact. He knew that if he went to check on Zelda, they would both be dead. There was only one way to help Zelda—end this._

_So he charged, and as he neared the giant snake, it began lifting its head. Previously, Link would swipe at the creature. But now he needed to do more than hurt it. He needed to kill it. The snake lifted up, saw Link, and struck. Link angled his body and swung his sword upwards. As the snake's mouth closed in around Link, his sword slid up through the roof of its mouth and into the brain of the creature. _

_It jerked suddenly, and Link shifted his body so that his shield would prevent the mouth from tightening on him. Finally, the snake jerked for the final time, and fell to the side, its dead weight being too much for Link to hold up._

_Sliding out of the snake's mouth, Link rushed over to the stone. As he turned the corner around the fallen boulder, he was relieved to find that she had jumped out of the landing area. However, at a closer look, Link found her unconscious. A piece of the rock had come off and struck her head. She was bleeding quickly from a gash above her right ear._

_Ripping cloth from his shirt under his tunic, Link quickly made a make-shift bandage, and wrapped it tightly around her head. He then carefully lifted her up, supporting her head, and walked towards the exit. Several minutes later, he found himself back in the Goron village in the mountain. Porgon, one of the Gorons he and Zelda had befriended, was waiting for him at the entrance._

_"Link! So good to see you! The shaking has stopped. Did you find the cause of it?"_

_Link panted as he ran up the last of the stairs, exhausted, but unwilling to slow down. "Yes, Porgon. But I have no time to explain. Do you have a healer, or infirmary?"_

_Porgon suddenly grew somber as he saw what it was Link was holding in his arms. "Right this way!" And he rolled into a ball and down the corridor._

_Down the hall, up some stairs, and into the third room on the right they went. Link set Zelda down onto a stone bed and he collapsed to the floor, leaning against the wall. In his last conscious moments, he told the attending Goron healer between great heaves of air, "I may fall asleep for a while. I'll be awake in a couple hours. You focus on her!"_

_And his eyes grew heavy as his body and mind gave in to exhaustion._

_When all was said and done, Link should have been grateful for the hour and a half he spent unconscious. It was that much less time he spent at Zelda's bedside, holding her hand, and sick with worry._

_When he awoke, he barely touched any food, just drinking water. He accidentally offended the healer when he ridiculed the stone bed she was on. Despite needing more sleep and to have some burns and cuts looked at, he refused treatment. Instead, he sat at Zelda's side, unable to keep unhappy scenarios from playing in his mind._

_One such scenario caused Link to begin speaking to her unconscious form._

_"I need you to wake up, Zelda. I need you to be okay. I promised your father I'd look after you, you know. And…I don't know what I'd do without you. I need to tell you something. I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't…_

_"I'm falling for you, Zelda. You are amazing. You are beautiful and smart. You are funny and caring…_

_"I know it's not right. I know it can't be. You're a princess, and I'm a shepherd…so I know it can't be, and I know you can't possibly feel the same, but I needed you to know." Link smiled. "Even if only your subconscious will have heard this."_

_Link bent down and kissed her forehead softly._

"Well," Zelda said, bringing him out of his reverie and restating her question. "Is something the matter?"

Link shook his head slowly, his heart falling. "Don't worry about it; it's nothing you haven't heard before, Zelda."

* * *

**Big A/N:** So, I'm actually a few chapters ahead at this point, and I've reached the climax of the story and want to do a big Zelda flashback, too. Unfortunately, this really takes us out of the climax for at least two chapters or one _very_ long chapter. So, my question to the readers: do you want the flashback? Should I try to edit it down, and lose a lot of her story? Should I keep this distinctly Link's story, and perhaps post hers as a seperate story or just drop it entirely? Let me know what you think and why you think it and I'll be able to finish the story. Thanks!


	7. Horigim

Thanks for the reviews. They really make me want to update faster and write better for you. This chapter is a bit longer, but will set up the last few chapters of the story. Enjoy!

* * *

Weeks went by. Zelda approved Link's proposal, and Link began training all the able men of Hyrule. For two weeks, a large group of soldiers would arrive. Based on their experience, family situation, and work, Link and some carefully selected officers would place the men into positions. Men with families, assuming they weren't horrible at it, were trained in archery—a position which had fewer fatalities. Younger, stronger men were chosen as footmen, armed with swords, axes, or spears and decked in heavy armor. Others still, given marine experience, would join Hyrule's navy and navy reserve, which had been nearly absent in the military before.

Weeks turned into months, and Link was very happy with the work he had done. But his happiness ended there. If his work didn't distract him, he wouldn't eat. He was getting little sleep. His nights were spent tossing and turning, unable to keep himself from thinking of her.

They didn't see much of each other. Once a week, he would report to her and the Council. It was both his favorite and most dreaded time of the week. He would see her face, though her smile was absent these days. She was still beautiful, but over the months, dark circles and worry lines had brought her to a worldly level. Link was sure the job was taxing. He tried to do all he could to at least remove the worry of the military and defense. She always seemed very proud of his work.

Her invitations to lunch had slowed, and he hadn't received one in weeks. Link was grateful, because it hurt him so badly to hurt her in any way—even declining an invitation. But the two had grown apart—rarely talking outside of work matters, and they were tense and short conversations when they did speak otherwise.

Three months after Zelda's coronation, war was declared on Hyrule. Link's new navy spotted an army from their patrol of the Great Sea, and spies were sent to discover who it was. While messages were sent to nearby villages and towns to ready their soldiers, Link rode swiftly out to meet his spies near the marching army. They were a day's march away from any major town, and three days' march from Castle Town.

"Report," Link ordered before he finished dismounting Epona.

His three best spies each help out foreign items: a shield, a sword, and a flag. The flag had embroidered on it a setting sun.

"The Dark Land," Link mumbled darkly as his senior spy Errog nodded.

"We've caught snippets of conversation, and they are bent on destroying Hyrule. One village at a time. They didn't take too kindly to you killing their king and destroying their castle."

"I can imagine. After all, I didn't take too kindly to him killing our king, raiding our castle, and stealing our princess. How have they come here?" Link asked, briefly thinking of the portal he had opened. Surely, there was another way into the Land of Light from the Dark Land that was more fitting for an army. And the same way Ganondorf arrived the first time.

"Well, from the sound of it, they've been marching for weeks—easily 15,000 strong. Maybe 20. I heard some of their soldiers talk of a 'bridge' to the south, around the Great Sea. I've never before heard of a bridge, so it must be a magical bridge between the lands."

Link nodded and pulled out a map of Hyrule. "Their army is just a day away from the nearest village, but the bulk of our army would need over two days to arrive there. And we need most of our 15,000 soldiers if we hope to fight this army without defeat. We either need to evacuate the village or make talks with their leader to fight on neutral ground."

Link then sent two of his spies away on horseback, one to Castle Town, and the other to the nearest village, Ordon—a town of just 200 people. There couldn't be more than 20 or 30 soldiers who had been trained from there. There were few defenses in the town, just a lookout tower and a bottle-neck of an entrance that would be helpful but certainly not enough to defeat an army of this magnitude.

Each rider was instructed to warn the people. In Ordon, the people were to pack their essential possessions, and in Castle Town, emergency protocol was to begin gathering the army and march towards Ordon unless otherwise directed. The third spy, Errog, and Link would then separate after the meeting with the Dark leader to give more instructions.

So as the two spies departed, Link and Errog set out to set up a meeting place with the Dark leader. Link gathered parchment and wrote a note.

"To the Leader of the Dark Land, we request a meeting to discuss the purpose and intent of your army, and warn you of our response. Two miles south of here is a large field with no trees for miles. We request that we meet in the middle of this field with just two representatives. Let this note be proof that we will not try to attack, for if we wanted to kill you, you would be dead with its arrival. Be there in one hour or we send a stronger message."

Link wrapped the note around an arrow and tied it on. Errog then led him quietly to a tree a hundred feet away from their camp and he pointed out the leader's tent. Link notched the arrow, felt carefully for the wind, pulled back the string, and released the arrow. They watched as it soared through the air, and landed squarely in the opening of the tent.

The alerted shouts of soldiers confirmed that the arrow flew true. Link watched from afar as a figure awkwardly grabbed the arrow and read the note. He looked up to the tree line, but was unsuccessful in locating Link, who decided it was a good time to leave.

Hopping onto Epona's back, with Errog mounted beside him, Link rode to the field. He stopped about a mile in to the open, where he was certain he could see the enemy coming from far off and foresee any sneak attacks. After thirty minutes, Link saw two figures approaching. As they neared, the outline of men on horses was made clear. As they came even closer, Link saw that one of the Dark men approaching had only one arm, and Link shuddered.

"Horigim," Link muttered.

Errog looked over at Link. "You know him?"

"Ay," Link responded. "I'm the reason he's missing that left arm."

"So he will not be reasonable with us?"

Link slowly shook his head. "Not a chance."

Horigim approached with another man who Link did not know. They shared the same pale white skin and dead eyes. Link had only been up close with Horigim and Ganondorf, and now this third Dark man. But a common attribute was the lightless—lifeless, even—eyes. Link wondered if it was a common trait of the people from the Dark Land.

Just feet away, Link glanced at Horigim's missing arm. Horigim sneered at him before speaking, "What is it you want, Link?"

_For a couple more weeks, Link and Zelda continued to search out the keys to the portal to the Dark Land. They planned to go on the attack and secretly enter the Dark Land to destroy Ganondorf and end the threat on Hyrule. However, as time passed, Link and Zelda continued hearing horror stories of the destruction Ganondorf was wreaking on the people of Hyrule. They recognized time was of the essence and they needed to split up._

_It was one of the most difficult things for Link to do. And he did not do it all that willingly. But after much debate and loud arguments, Zelda's cry for the people outweighed Link's need to be with her at all times to keep her safe._

_So they determined they would split up after finding the third key to seek out the remaining four. After they found one each, they reunited for a day before splitting again. Link had been so relieved that she was not harmed. It made separating the second time easier. _

_He did believe that she was very capable. She had shown she could fight, and was often so clever she didn't have to. And he discovered, as he found the sixth key, that he fought much better without her near because his only fear and distraction of her getting hurt was gone. So without her near, he was able to focus at a higher level. And it was a good thing, too, because he fought an enormous monster in the Zoran Domain that would have surely killed him if he had been worrying about her. _

_When he narrowly escaped death, and retrieved the key, he had a renewed and amplified fear for Zelda's safety that caused him to immediately hop on Epona and rush to Zelda's location. He could not wait a couple of days to meet at their determined meeting place. He needed to see her now, and make sure she was safe._

_He caught up to her as she was searching out the seventh key. She was deep under Hyrule Field in a series of caves and tunnels they had learned about in Kokiro Forest. Link turned down a tunnel and found her, standing near a large doorway._

_He shouted her name and ran to her. She turned and smiled, and they embraced in a tight hug. Link was reminded as her warm body pressed against his that this was really the first hug they had shared. Link was well aware of his attraction to her, and had wanted to hold her often. But he was careful to remember that she was a princess. Even though they were very close friends, he didn't want their relationship to get strange simply to satisfy some of his desires. Link held her tight and didn't want it to end. It felt so right to hold her in his arms._

_But he realized she would be curious of his behavior if he simply held her for a hour, so he had to let her go._

_"Link, why are you here? Did something happen?" Zelda asked worriedly._

_Link breathed deeply. "Yes. Something did happen. I remembered just how dangerous this can be. I don't know what I was thinking letting you go off on your own. Twice!"_

_"Link," Zelda said, reassuringly. "I'm fine. I haven't had to fight anything!"_

_"Yes, but by the looks of that door, something dangerous will be waiting on the other side, guarding the last key."_

_Zelda laughed. "You can't possibly tell from the door…"_

_Link interrupted, "No, the doors with the keys and monsters have a distinctive look to them. Have you not noticed? It's very convenient…"_

_"Well, be that as it may, I'm just fine. And I can get the last key. You can come if you'd like."_

_Link grasped Zelda's shoulders and looked her right in the eyes. "Zelda…I can't let you go in there. I…care too much about you." He looked down at his feet before continuing. "If we go in together…I won't be able to fight well. I'll be thinking about your safety too much."_

_Zelda looked at Link for a good minute before speaking, which she did slowly. "But Link…you're exhausted. And you look a little hurt."_

_Link shook his head. "I'm fine. Look…I'm asking you to do this for _my_ safety. I need you to stay out here until I come back out."_

_Again, Zelda took her time before responding. "You have ten minutes, and I'm coming in."_

_Link smiled. "Great." He brought her in for another hug before striding purposefully towards the door and opening it._

_He walked through and found it seal shut behind him, predictably. All the better, so she wouldn't be able to enter._

_Link surveyed the large area in front of him. He was surprised to find a man standing in front of him. He was not Hyrulian, but of some other land. As the man and Link walked slowly towards each other, Link saw his eyes. Dead. Reminiscent of Ganondorf's eyes, but this man had pale white skin, not green._

_"Good evening, Link," the man spoke. This troubled Link. Everything Link had fought so far had been a 'creature that could not speak, and was likely a conjured beast from evil magic. But this was an intelligent being that knew his name._

_"My name is Horigim," the figure continued. "And I am here to kill you. And the princess will be Ganondorf's at last."_

_Link tightened his grip on his sword and shield and charged Horigim. Their blades met in a fury, Link's skill with the blade offsetting Gorihim's advantage in strength. Link recognized quickly that not only was he already quite tired from his previous fight, but he would not be able to take a direct hit to his shield without being thrown onto his back, so he was careful to angle his shield with each blow to send the majority of Horigim's power away from himself._

_After minutes of exhausting battle, Horigim attacked Link with all of his might with an overhead swing of his blade. Link jumped quickly to the side, and narrowly avoided the strike. Horigim's momentum carried him forward, leaving him momentarily defenseless. Link seized the moment and swung his blade high and hard. His sword swung with such force that it went right through the arm of Horigim. Horigim howled as blood squirted over Link's body and face._

_The man from the Dark Land dropped to his knees, whimpering in pain, and trying to cover his shoulder to stop the great bleeding._

_He entered into some sort of shock right in front of Link. He stopped screaming, and turned to look at Link, dead eyes matching pitiful ones. "You may have beat me, Link. But you fell right into our trap."_

_Link's eyes widened and he glanced back at the door, which unlocked._

_Horigim began laughing before coughing replaced his laughter. "Go on…just try to save her."_

_Link rushed to the door, swung it open with sword drawn, and his fears were realized. Ganondorf stood on the other side, just ten feet ahead of him, with Zelda squirming in his arms, his sword at her neck._

_"You have caused me great distress, Link," Ganondorf sneered at him. "Did you ever think it strange that I would scatter my portal back home across Hyrule? No, I have a different means into the Dark Land. However, I had to think of a way to get you and Zelda to rear your ugly heads. So I made a portal and broke it into seven pieces to wear you out and capture you. But now it is time you pay for hiding from me and 'protecting' your sweet princess." He threw her violently to the side, where she hit the wall and slumped to the ground._

_Link took this moment to charge at Ganondorf. But Ganondorf merely raised his hand and shot a familiar purple ball of energy at Link. He tried to hit it away with his sword. But the spell merely struck the sword, sending it flying backwards into Link's side, and the spell continued on into Link's shoulder, sending him flying sideways into the wall._

_Pain and cloudiness filled Link's consciousness as he fought to stay in the present. His head bobbed to the side as he watched Horigim emerge from the door to his left. Their eyes met, and Horigim took a step towards him, likely to stick his sword through Link's chest._

_"Come, Horigim. No one can survive that blast, and you won't survive your injury if we don't get back as soon as possible."_

_Horigim stopped, took one last disgusted look at Link, and turned to follow his master, who was picking up Zelda's lifeless form and heading for the exit. Link fought to stay conscious, but drifted off despite his best efforts._

"Horigim," Link responded, "it is not what I want that is the question. Why have you returned to the Land of Light?"

Horigim's lip quivered in anger. "How dare you ask me that! After you disabled me and killed my king! Revenge, you fiend! And I will have my revenge as I rip your army to shreds and march right on through to destroy the princess that brought such grief to our land!"

It was Link's turn to be angry. "Revenge? On a people who you attacked? If anything we should be the ones attacking you in revenge. You kill our king, abduct our princess and have the gall to march with an army onto our lands? You think your men will fight with the vigor that ours will possess?"

"Ha!" Horigim laughed at Link. "Your army? The same men who let one man waltz through your city and castle without difficulty?"

"Very well," Link said, achieving his goal. "Then we shall meet on neutral ground, for our armies to meet head-on."

"Gladly," Horigim responded. "It will be a bloody day for Hyrule. But I would have it no other way."

"There is a great field one day's march north. In three days time our armies will meet there and discover who has the right to fight for vengeance!"

Horigim nodded, spun about, and raced back to his camp.

When he was out of earshot, Link turned to Errog. "Hurry to Ordon, and let them know they can stand down but be ready to flee should Horigim change his mind. Signal Castletown with the fire relay should Horigim do anything that shows intent to go somewhere other than Hyrule Field for battle."

"Very well."

"I ride to Castletown. I have an army to prepare!"

* * *

Let me know what you think! Reviews are so very nice!


	8. Battle

Thanks to all the great reviewers! I really hope you enjoy this chapter. It was my favorite to write!

* * *

He waited outside of her office once more. This time, he was dreading meeting her for a different reason. Previously, each meeting simply reminded him of her wisdom and beauty that would never be his. Today, he dreaded telling the Queen that her kingdom was under attack.

"Come in," came her voice from the other side of the door.

Link slowly turned the knob, took a deep breath, and entered.

She looked up and surprise flickered through her eyes before disappearing. "Link," she said. "I don't usually see you outside of our meetings. Is something the matter?" Her voice sounded strained, perhaps a little cold.

"Yes," Link responded, and Zelda's countenance changed from guarded to worried in an instant. "My queen, your kingdom is under attack."

Zelda stood up instantly. "Where? Who is attacking?"

Link proceeded to explain the situation, that the Dark Land had launched a massive attack through a portal in the south. He told her of Horigim and his agreement they made to fight in Hyrule Field in order to stave off a slaughter of Ordon and other surrounding villages.

Zelda had made her way forward and suddenly hugged Link. It was the first time since her coronation that they had hugged. Or even touched. And Link immediately wrapped his arms around her, not because he understood her reasons for hugging him, but because it felt so good to hold her again.

"Thank you for saving my people, Link," Zelda said emotionally. They held each other for a moment longer than the moment likely warranted. But now that Link was holding her, he didn't want to stop despite his good sense. When they finally released each other, they continued to hold each other's hands. "Will you be able to defeat them?"

Link nodded slowly. "They outnumber us, but we fight for much more than they do. We fight for our families. Our Homes. To avenge your father." Link hesitated for a moment before giving one last reason, which was perhaps a little more personal than universal for his army. "To protect you.

"Yes, we will defeat them, and hopefully they will turn back before too many of our own are slain. My men are well trained for this type of battle."

Zelda nodded. "Okay, when do we leave?"

Link frowned at her. "The _army_ will depart in the morning. I have called all men to arms and sent messages throughout the kingdom to meet us in the field. _You_," Link said emphatically. "You will be sitting here with your guard. I will leave two hundred men to guard the city walls. Two hundred can hold off two thousand with these walls, and there is no way more than two thousand could survive my army."

Zelda looked up at Link, and he knew she wanted to object to his plan. She wanted to come out and fight. But as she looked into Link's eyes, he saw her resolve fade. "You know I want to come," she stated. Link nodded.

"But I know you won't let me." Link shook his head.

"I won't fight you on one condition."

"What is it?"

"You come back to me safe."

Link smiled. His first real smile in weeks. "I will do that, Zelda. But you stay safe, okay?"

Zelda smiled back at him and pulled in for another hug. "I will."

As Link left the office a moment later, his conflicting emotions nearly overcame him. It felt so good to just be real with Zelda again. But that was exactly why he needed to stay away from her. His happiness and frustration with their meeting kept him occupied as he made his way out of the castle to make preparations for battle. As he pushed open the castle doors, he shook his head. Now was no time to be thinking of his dilemma. He had a war to fight.

The following evening, Link sat in his tent. It was the night before the battle would begin, and he had called a scribe to him. "I want this read to all of the troops tonight before they go to their beds. Can you get copies made for each captain to read to their unit?"

"Yes, sir," the scribe responded, dipping his quill in ink. He waited as Link pondered over his words, and began jotting furiously when Link spoke.

"Five months ago, a tyrant came into our kingdom and murdered our king. Just two months later, he abducted our princess with intent to capture our kingdom. When I rescued the princess and slew this monster, his people had the audacity to believe he was the victim. Now they march on our county to destroy our women, our children, and our queen.

"We are not an aggressive nation. We will not shed blood unless attacked. However, the Dark Land has given us the unique opportunity to seek vengeance without being the aggressor. I call on each and every one of you to reflect on your families this night. Think of your loved ones' faces. It is for them we fight. But think also of our deceased king. His blood calls out from the grave for justice to be done. And as long as a tyrant rules the Dark Land and seeks Hyrule's innocent, we will fight for that justice to be given. Tomorrow, we give justice to those responsible for this death and fear. Tomorrow, we fight and die for the innocent. Tomorrow, we stand victorious."

The following morning, Link's army arose. They may not have slept well, but they rose with vigor. They prepared themselves with confidence. And when the battle horns of the Dark Land sounded, grips were tightened on swords instead of shields.

Link had orchestrated a great plan, and for the first hour, he oversaw its progress. As the two lines progressed towards each other, Link's archers fired arrows at the opposing army's front line. Link watched in reverence as men were cut down by the hundreds in front of him. When the return volley came, his front three lines held up the large shields they were carrying. Dozens fell as arrows found gaps in the shields. After Hyrule's archers fired their second volley, and hundreds more fell, The Dark army stopped marching and charged instead, not desiring to be cut down before they reached Link's army. Their front ranks became scattered and weak.

Link signaled for the second phase to begin, and as archers laid down heavy fire, soldiers made pathways for the cavalry to ride through the ranks from behind. As horsemen rode forward, swinging their weapons at the charging army, Link's front lines put down their large shields and pulled out their weapons and smaller shields, and hastened their march.

The cavalry made it partway through the opposing army's ranks before turning back around to continue the assault on the diminished front lines. The archers continued to lay down heavy fire behind the cavalry to prevent the Dark marksmen from hitting the cavalry from behind.

The war continued in this fashion as Link orchestrated the attack until it was a full out battle—all semblance of order gone in the chaos. At this point, Link turned over command to the captains as he could no longer control the battle, and jumped off Epona to join the battle.

As he marched forward, it was clear his army had the upper hand. The opening hour of the war had left the Dark army dejected and depleted. Link's army, on the other hand now had a bolstered confidence and its number was likely larger. They fought well together, while the Dark army appeared to be every man for himself.

Link pulled out his bow, and shot down soldier after soldier as he walked through the battle. Soon, there were too many soldiers in all directions for him not to have his shield out, so he put his bow on his back and pulled out his sword and shield. He continued his way through the ranks, cutting down every enemy he came near.

After hours of fighting, he had mowed his way to the back of the enemy formations, where he saw two figures standing. One had only one arm. Link's eyes narrowed and he charged the two men.

One pulled out a bow and fired an arrow at Link, but Link swiped it away with his sword. A second arrow came at him, which he easily blocked with his shield. He was at a full sprint by the time he neared the two men. Horigim's associate was trying to notch a third arrow when Link arrived, but Link lowered his shoulder and charged straight into the man's chest with his shield. He heard several ribs crack and the man hit the ground gasping for breath. Making sure Horigim wouldn't be able to attack him while he had his back turned, Link quickly disarmed the man on the ground and turned his attention to Horigim. He had a sword drawn.

"You are no match for me, Horigim. Wave the white flag and end this bloodshed."

Horigim bore his teeth menacingly. "I will never wave a white flag so long as I have one man who can hold a sword." And with that, he charged at Link.

His sword came down and Link held his shield up to block the attack. The impact was huge, and Link recalled in that instant just how strong Horigim was. Link flew onto his back with the force to his shield, but he quickly rolled backwards. Horigim continued to charge at him and as he rolled back onto his feet, he brought his sword up and it went right through Horigim's stomach, whose arm held his sword high over his head.

Horigim gasped in pain and dropped to his knees. He dropped his sword and his hand went to his stomach as Link pulled his own sword out. Blood quickly filled the holes between his fingers and Horigim looked back up at Link with complete hate in his dead eyes.

"Even in your victory," Horigim gasped out, "you have once again fallen for our king's trap."

He gave two distinct chuckles before it dawned on Link what he meant. In absolute fury and fear, Link swung the master sword horizontally with all his might and cut Horigim's head off. It rolled right over to the other Dark one still gasping on the ground, eyes full of fear while still appearing lifeless.

Voice shaking with fury, Link said to the man. "Wave your white flag this instant or we will not acknowledge it when you do."

The man nodded, and that was all Link needed before he took off in the direction of the nearest horse he could find.

As Link rode with all his might, he heard another trumpeting sound behind him. The call to retreat. If his greatest fear wasn't again being realized, Link would have felt victorious, accomplished, relieved, happy.

_Link came to nearly ten minutes after Ganondorf, Horigim, and Zelda left, with Dara shouting his name. He made to stand up but the gash in his side was so painful he couldn't move. It also felt as though he had been hit in the chest by a charging goat. His head was swirling and he didn't know where he was. But then he remembered and images of a stolen Zelda filled his mind and a renewed energy filled his frame._

_He tore off a sleeve of his tunic and wrapped it around his stomach, bandaging the deep gash his own sword had made in his side. He left his sword on the ground, knowing it would do no good against Ganondorf. He would need to seek the Master sword in the Temple of Time._

_Link first entered the room where he had fought Horigim and found the final key to the Dark Land in a chest in the center of the room. He grabbed it and headed for the surface. When he arrived he found an anxious Epona. He clambered difficultly onto her back and rode painfully back to Castletown. With each gallop he thought his entrails would escape through his wound and that he would lose consciousness. But he fought it. He needed to find her and rescue her. He couldn't let him hurt her. He loved her._

_He reached the drawbridge into Castletown and rode through. He turned toward the Temple of Time when he reached the courtyard. Hunched over, he entered the great temple and walked quickly towards the front. A priest gaped at him, but Link continued forward. As he approached the statues of the goddesses in the front, they slid aside, revealing a room behind them. Link's hand glowed as the Triforce he had collected showed itself. He continued walking forward and saw the Master Sword in its pedestal. _

_Link walked up to the sword. Clutching his side with one arm, he pulled on the hilt of the sword with the other. It slid easily out of the stone it rested in. The sword felt wonderful in his hand—an extension of his body, really._

_But he didn't have time to admire it. Instead, he opened his bag and pulled out the seven keys he had collected. They fit together like a puzzle and formed an ornate ring, the size of Link's hand. When every piece was put together, the object began spinning and a blue energy expanded above it. Link boldly limped forward, and walked into the Dark Land to find his princess._

After riding swiftly back to his camp, Link quickly gave command to the second in command, explaining that the Dark army would surrender, and if they didn't surrender, Hyrule should take no mercy. Before hopping onto Epona's back, he explained that the Queen was likely in danger, and he needed to get back to her.

For an hour straight, Link pushed Epona to her limits. She seemed to recognize what was at stake and didn't complain too much, but gave it her all. As Link approached the front walls, he shouted for the drawbridge to be lowered. He waited impatiently as the great gate came down, thinking only of Zelda and his own stupidity for never closing the portal. It had never crossed his mind! He assumed it had been taken care of!

Of course no army would come through the portal; only one man at a time could walk through. But a secret, stealth unit with a mission to capture the Queen? That could come through, as long as there was a big enough distraction that streets would be vacant and guards would, for the most part, be away or on the outer walls.

The drawbridge finally came down and Link rode hastily through town again and reached the courtyard—desolate of any people, who were likely at home, praying for their loved ones. He turned towards the Temple of Time and saw the last of a group of men wielding weapons walk into the Temple.

Link kicked Epona's sides, urging her forward and jumped off of her at the doors, hitting the ground running. Sprinting through the temple, Link saw the priest again, this time lying on the ground in front of the altar, blood trickling down his face.

Link ran past the statues of the goddesses and into the back room, where he skidded to a stop. A group of twelve men stood at the portal, with three of them restraining a fighting Zelda. When they saw Link they turned immediately and held her in front of them, a knife at her neck.

"Let her go!" Link said deadly.

One of the men spoke up. "Well, if it isn't Link. Boss said you might show up."

"And who is your boss?"

"Our new king, Zant."

"Well you go home and tell Zant his army is defeated and to never set foot in Hyrule again."

"Actually, he plans to finish what Ganondorf started, so we will be taking Zelda with us now."

The one speaking turned toward the portal and began walking towards it. Link took out his bow and in one motion he notched and shot an arrow. It flew straight into the neck of the man, who fell to his knees immediately, departed. Link dropped his bow and held up his sword and shield as two of the men drew their bows and aimed right at Link.

Another man began speaking, much less confident than the last one. "We have just walked through your Castle and its guard, only losing eight of our men to over twenty of your men. We will easily kill you too.

"You wouldn't have faced those guards twenty on twenty, though," Link said. "Your twenty men against five at a time at most. Maybe one by one, like cowards."

"Perhaps…but you are only one man, too."

Link looked over at Zelda and tried to give her a reassuring look. Her eyes pled with him to run away, but he shook his head at her. "So you should have no problem." Link kicked his bow forward into the middle of the room and starting running at the men.

"Fire," he heard the man shout. Link deflected one arrow aimed at his chest with his shield, and swung his sword simultaneously in front of his legs and hit away an arrow headed for his right thigh. Two men were fast approaching him, so he thrust forward his shield as he sidestepped a spear being stabbed at him and struck the man in the head while he brought the hilt of his sword in front of him and thrust the blade backwards. The Master Sword sunk deep into a man standing behind him, who was poised to attack.

Link reached out and grabbed the man he just hit with his shield and pulled him quickly in front of him and spun around just in time to have two arrows sink into the chest of the Dark man he was holding.

As the man in front of him fell to the ground, Link removed his helm and threw it at a third archer who had moved to his left behind a short wall. He was pulling back an arrow and ready to fire. The helm hit the bow as he released the arrow and the new direction sent an arrow straight into one of the original archers.

Link dove behind a pillar as another soldier hurled his spear at Link. This turned out to be a stupid move as Link quickly picked up the spear and threw it right back at the man. The original bowman who wasn't hit and two others pulled out swords and approached Link in the center of the room again. He engaged all three, looking for a time to strike. But the three of them were skilled fighters, and Link could only fight off their attacks.

Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw the third archer pulling back another arrow. Link dropped to the ground right as the arrow whizzed over his cap, into one of the three swordsmen. This provided a brief moment of shock, in which Link stabbed at the two remained swordsmen, who both fell to the ground, one dead and the other wounded.

Before the archer could notch another arrow, Link threw his sword forward, the blade lodging in the archer's neck as he fell backwards. Another man charged at Link, sword raised. Link blocked his attack with his shield while pulling an arrow out of his quiver and stabbing the man in front of him with it.

As the man fell to the ground and Link pulled his arrow out of his chest, Link dropped his shield, and kicked his bow into his hands from the ground, where he had kicked it moments earlier. He notched the bloody arrow, turned, and fired. Link watched down the shaft of his bow as the arrow soared straight into the remaining man's eye socket. He had still been holding a knife to Zelda's neck, but she pushed in it of the way as the man fell backwards, dead.

Link dropped to one knee, to the lone survivor, whom he had stabbed in the side, avoiding any major organ.

"Now," Link said in a quiet and deadly voice between deep breaths. "You will return to Zant. Tell him your army has been defeated and his plan to take Zelda away has failed. And if he _ever_ tries to return to Hyrule, I will personally come into the Dark Land and kill every last one of you. Understood?"

"Ye…yes." Link pulled him violently to his feet and shoved him through the portal before getting to his knees and taking the circular object that made the portal and hitting it hard against the ground so it broke into the seven pieces he and Zelda had collected.

When that was all done, Link finally turned to Zelda, whose mouth was slightly agape, but her eyes were no longer afraid. He was at her side in a moment and he reached up and held her face gently. Brushing hair out of her face with his thumb, he asked her softly, "are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. "No…I'm fine. Link, they killed so many of the guards—"

"I know…I'm so stupid. I'm so sorry, Zelda. This is all my faul—"

Zelda interrupted him and stared deeply into his eyes. "This is not your fault! You did the right thing. I should have closed this portal the moment we got back. I just meant…how did you…" she trailed off, but looked around at all of the fallen soldiers.

She looked back up at Link, and simply said, "Thank you for saving me. Again…"

Link chuckled lightly. "Thanks for ignoring that it was my fault again."

They sat down on the ground, exhausted, and embraced. For nearly an hour they held each other, trying to soothe one another's guilt and fear. All the while, they knew that this moment of intimacy between them would have to stop, but needed each other too much to care.

* * *

Let me know what you think! We're winding down, here. It's exciting and sad.


	9. Confession

Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

Hours after he rescued the Queen and destroyed the portal, Link was back out at the battlefield. He took a different horse, knowing Epona would be exhausted from pushing her so hard.

The slower gallop out to the warzone gave Link plenty of time to think. The past few days only proved to him that his love for Zelda had not diminished—but in fact, it likely grew. Link tried to think of alternatives to simply leaving Hyrule to solve the problem. But nothing short of being with Zelda (which idea he had stopped entertaining weeks earlier) would give him a happy life in Hyrule. Of that, he was now sure.

He had spent more meaningful time with Zelda in the past few days than the previous two months. And even though their time spent together was rushed, dangerous, or spent in worry, it had been the happiest he had been for those months. No, Link was sure he could not find happiness in Hyrule.

He arrived on the battlefield to find that the Dark army had indeed surrendered and now was a time of reverence and mourning. Link sought a death count from his generals. When he heard the number, Link felt both devastation at the lives lost and relief that the number was so much smaller than what could have been. His soldiers had fought wisely, and minimized the death count.

A quick look across the warzone told Link that the enemy had suffered much worse. It looked as though nearly half of the army that had stood there that morning had fallen. Link was just grateful their new leader had surrendered before there was more unnecessary bloodshed.

_Link entered the Dark Land and lifted his sword immediately, not wanting to be ambushed. He found himself alone in a large cathedral, not too far different from the Temple of Time from which he had just come. Link noticed immediately, however, that the colors all around him were different. Dimmer, as if he was seeing them through a fog. Link determined he was in the "Dark Land" that Ganondorf had mentioned, and hoped he and Zelda would see the "Land of Light" again._

_Link walked quickly through the building, but did so warily. Fortunately, the building was empty and Link made it to the exit unhindered aside from his nagging injuries._

_When he opened the door and looked out into the land, he saw a majestic Castle upon a cliff-hill in the distance, perhaps a half mile away. Link set out immediately, staying to the side of the pathway so he could hide should another come._

_Fortune was again on Link's side, and he thought it odd that there was not more traffic to the castle. Then again, if Ganondorf was doing something vile—which he was—he may not want his subjects to know of it. Link was grateful for the absence of enemies. He wasn't sure how well he could fight at the moment given his serious and painful injuries. He noticed the pain had receded to a dull throb throughout his entire body, though he couldn't support his weight on the left side of his body where he had been hit by sword and spell._

_After a few minutes of hurried limping, Link neared the Castle and saw the first people of this land. They were guards._

_Link was almost sure he would find Ganondorf and his princess inside the castle, and he would not get to the castle as long as there were guards defending the only entrance. Link stayed near the strange vegetation of the land as he walked up the hill leading to the castle perched on a cliff. When he was within firing distance, Link pulled out his bow._

_He notched an arrow and aimed at the foremost guard. For nearly a whole minute he stood, hidden behind a tree, with his arrow pulled partway back, pointing at the guard. Link was having a difficult time releasing the arrow. Not because of the pain in his side, though it did hurt him. It was because these men likely had families. They were someone's son. Perhaps a husband or even a father. For all the monsters Link had slain, he never hesitated like this. The monsters were mindless drones created by Ganondorf to kill him._

_But now it was different, and Link had to remind himself that while they were just doing their duty, that duty was to keep him from Zelda, and doing so would bring the destruction of Hyrule. This was war. And sometimes casualties in war were necessary for the safety of greater numbers._

_So he pulled the arrow back the whole way and released the arrow. It flew true, and soon the three remaining guards were charging at Link. He stepped from behind the tree, his hiding place now useless, and released two more arrows before the final remaining guard reached Link. Link quickly pulled out his sword and slew the last man. Link walked past each of the four guards on his way up to the castle, careful not to look down at the men and think of who they might have been._

_Link slowly opened the grand doors of the castle, trying to be quiet. His injuries were causing him great pain, but from the adrenaline of the recent fight and being close to Zelda his mind didn't register the pain. He slipped inside and looked down the great corridor in front of him, ceilings fifty feet high, windows stretched along the left side of the hallway, revealing the great drop-off of the cliff. Link would have recognized the beauty of the view if he wasn't so distracted by a larger goal._

_He walked silently down the hallway until he reached the corner and the corridor opened into a great, vast, chamber. Link looked around, and saw Ganondorf hunched over a large tome. He looked for Zelda, but couldn't see her until he looked up. He found her encased in a large pink crystal, hovering above Ganondorf._

_He couldn't breathe. The thought of her dead—or whatever state she was currently in— paralyzed Link, and it took him several long minutes before he gathered himself enough to stand up straight and face the greatest evil he ever knew: Ganondorf._

Two days passed before Link arrived back in the castle. He was reporting all that had happened.

"…and he signed the peace treaty before marching back home. Now, I recognize it was the acting commander that signed it and not their king, but I feel like they will honor the treaty, considering how generous it was to them."

Zelda gave a soft smile. "And I thank you for your kindness. Most of those men are likely good men with families to care for. It wouldn't be right to ask for reparations or the like from them."

"You're absolutely right," Link said.

There was a moment of silence before Zelda broke it. "Again, Link. Thank you for all you have done for Hyrule. If you hadn't been so anxious about creating this army, I hate to think what might have happened. I hope though, that things will return to normal again now that you have much less work to do with the army?"

"Perhaps," Link lied. He knew things would never be 'normal' again.

Zelda's eyes narrowed at his vague response. Her voice remained calm however, when she asked, "How are the men? Are they feeling victorious or defeated?"

"Victorious," Link responded, without much emotion, trying to send a clear message that he wanted to leave.

The message seemed to hit Zelda, as her lower lip began quivering, her voice shaking a bit as she asked, "And how are you doing, Link? Now that it's all over?"

"Fine," Link responded shortly.

Zelda's voice responded with anger. "And is anything the matter, Link?

Link tried to keep his voice level and calm, but his heart beat faster as the tension in the room mounted quickly. "No, my Queen."

Calling her 'Queen' seemed to push her over the edge. She no longer danced around the subject. "Why are you so distant? Why are you so short with me?" Zelda asked, voice rising.

Link matched her rising anger with his own. "I don't know what you mea—"

"Don't you dare!" Zelda all but shouted at him. She was standing now, eyes furious. "Two days ago, in a moment of weakness you were…_you_ again! We talked and laughed and cried together. Now…now _this_ again?" She waved her hands between the two of them.

"Because of you, Zelda! I'm distant because I can't be around _you_! I'm short with you because the longer I'm around you, the more miserable I get!"

Zelda was silenced. She looked shocked, hurt. It pained Link to see her so.

"I can't sleep, Zelda," he continued, softer now. "I don't eat. I can't get you out of my mind, and it's slowly killing me."

Her hurt transformed into confusion.

"Before, I had the military to distract me. And then the war. But now…" he trailed off. He sighed deeply and made a decision. "I hope your military satisfies you. I'm afraid I must resign as Commander." Link turned away to leave.

Before he reached the door, he heard Zelda's soft voice. "Link, I don't understand." He stopped as she walked up behind him and grabbed his arm to turn him around. But even the sensation running up his arm from her touch was enough to solidify his decision to leave. Leave Hyrule and never return.

"I have to go. Go…somewhere. Just not here. Not with you."

The hurt returned, and Zelda asked timidly, "Why?" He looked down at her beautiful face, probably for the last time.

He needed to touch it just one more time. So he lifted his hand up and cradled her face. Zelda's eyes showed hurt and concern, but she leaned in to his touch anyway.

He needed to know what it felt like. To kiss her.

"Because I love you," he said, before bringing his lips to hers and kissing her.

He kissed her with all the emotion he had pent up over the past months. The passion, the frustration, the longing, the anger. She returned the kiss with just as much enthusiasm. For seconds, minutes—who knew how long—they kissed, not wanting it to end for fear of what would happen afterwards.

But it did end, and as the kiss finished, Link had the distinct thought that this would be the last time he would feel happy.

"Goodbye, Zelda," he managed to say, softly. He turned and left the woman he loved standing speechless at the doorway.

* * *

Let me know what you think! We've just got a couple more chapters after this, so buckle up!


	10. Her Story

Thanks for the great reviews!

This chapter and the next will fill in some of the gaps from Link and Zelda's adventure while giving you a glimpse into Zelda's thoughts. If you remember those flashbacks well, it will make for a better read. Enjoy!

* * *

Zelda stood at the doorway, trying to catch her breath and process what had just happened. Link told her he loved her? It was so contrary to what she had been thinking that it left her confused and immobile for a few moments. It was, of course, wonderful news—but now she was letting him get away!

_Zelda was late for her seventeenth birthday—which was not like her. But everything seemed to go wrong today as if fate was trying to make her late. She finished getting dressed and was about to put on her necklace when she heard a noise coming from behind her—at her window. Turning around, she saw a pair of hands reach up on her windowsill and a green hood appearing in her window. She immediately pulled a sword off of her wall and hurried over to the young man who just clambered in through the window. _

_As he gathered himself, and looked up, she put the tip of her blade at his neck, and lifted up his head to look at her intruder. He was a young man, about her age. He was blonde, wearing a green tunic, with a Hylian sword at his belt and shield on his back. His face was very handsome, with a strong jaw line and piercing blue eyes._

_When she looked deeper into his eyes, she found purity. There was no fear in his eyes, as would be the case of an intruder who was caught. There was urgency in his eyes, however, that urged Zelda to lower her weapon._

_"Princess," the man said, bowing his head slightly. "Your castle is under attack by a very dangerous man. Your father told me I would find you here and bid me protect you."_

_This was a lot to digest, and Zelda immediately feared for her father's safety. But there was a scream from down the hallway, and Link quickly asked, "Is there another way out of here?"_

_Zelda took him to the escape route her father had shown her when she was a young girl, and they escaped down the stairs._

_They made their escape. But as the dangerous man shouted down at her from the castle, Zelda knew that her father had been killed. Her father would have come to her personally, instead of sending this boy, if he could. So he was either severely hurt or killed. And Zelda doubted the man would have attacked her father just to harm him. But as they sprinted into the dangerous forest behind the castle, Zelda knew now was not the time for grieving. It was the time for escaping._

_Zelda grew intrigued by who her rescuer was as he made false trails and covered their own tracks well. After running and jogging and walking as far as they could, they came to rest at a river bed. Zelda inquired about her father and learned the devastating truth that her father had been killed, and although she was distraught, she felt so proud of her father for standing up to the madman. _

_As she sobbed and grieved, she was grateful for the stranger's comfort. She knew instantly from his demeanor that she could trust him and confide in him. She told him of her father's greatness and special ability to lead the kingdom. "He knew just how to rule—when to be merciful or execute judgment. It takes a special wisdom to rule this land. It takes a special man," she concluded before realizing she didn't even know the man she was speaking to._

_"I'm sorry, I'm so rude not introducing myself," she said, sniffling. She knew she didn't need to introduce herself, but felt it was the polite thing to do. "My name is Zelda."_

_The boy smiled at her warmly before responding, "Of course you are, Princess. My name is Link. I'm a shepherd from the Koriko area."_

_"Well, Link, It is very good to meet you. Though I am very sorry it had to be under such circumstances."_

_Link frowned. "As am I, Princess."_

_"Please, Link. Call me Zelda"_

_-0-0-0-_

_Link would soon grow comfortable calling her by her name. After they had traveled together for a couple of days and found a safe place in Hyrule that she knew well, Zelda had thanked him and told him he could go back home if he so chose. But he would have none of it. Zelda was humbled and admired Link's devotion to keeping her safe and fulfilling her father's dying wishes._

_They traveled in secret in a town, trying to learn of Ganondorf's history and plans. Word had traveled from Castletown that he was searching for Zelda in all of Hyrule. He had plans to bring her back to the Dark Land and then overtake Hyrule._

_The two discussed possible plans of attack and Zelda told him of an ancient prophecy that foretold a man stealing the Triforce of Power. The prophecy also indicated that the only way to defeat him was to claim the other pieces of the Triforce. So the two determined to set out to the Dark Woods which were nearby. Prophecy foretold that the Dark Woods contained a piece of the Triforce, along with Goron Mountain._

_It was quite treacherous, in the woods and the temple hidden within them. But Zelda always felt safe with Link, who proved to be a very skilled fighter and quick thinker. Though, her own wisdom was the key to navigating the confusing Temple. And at the temple's center she was rewarded with the Triforce of Wisdom. It felt so empowering as her hand glowed gold with the Triforce mark. _

_Suddenly her mind was sharper than it had ever been, and she felt a magical power that she had never known._

_That night, however, she felt anything but wise as Link played with her mind. It was his turn to bathe that night. However, he seemed to think his tunic was dirtier than usual after their days in the woods and temple and decided to clean it. So he returned from the small lake clothed only in the small towel they used for drying off. _

_Not much could phase Zelda, but Link's body did the trick. She always knew he was a handsome man but with naught but a towel on, Zelda was able to see just how good Link looked. He had a very toned chest, with strong muscles. He was lean, and his abs showed beautifully in the firelight that night. His legs were strong and his body just looked perfect to Zelda._

_Sure, it might be that Zelda hadn't seen a whole lot of men like this—or any, for that matter, the sheltered princess that she was. But Zelda simultaneously could not look at Link and could not look away from him. She felt much hotter next to the fire than usual as her face turned red. When he tried to ask her a question about her youth, she found she could only respond in short answers, and had to think very hard to do so._

_Some Triforce of Wisdom, she thought to herself._

_-0-0-0-_

_"You want to take her for a spin before we start off to Goron Mountain?" Link asked her, after calling his beautiful horse Epona to them a couple days later._

_Zelda gladly accepted and was soon racing across Hyrule Fields on the mare's back. She rode Epona to a nearby river and hopped off as the horse drank some water._

_"So, Epona, was it?" Zelda asked. To her delight, Epona neighed in response. "You are a beautiful horse. I do hope you are ready for a long and difficult journey. I suspect you've been raised quite well though."_

_Zelda ran her hand across the horse's side and patted her softly. "Link seems like he'd be a loving owner." She moved to Eponas head and looked into her eye. "I don't know, Epona. What do you think?" The horse neighed in response. Zelda smiled._

_"Yes, I think Link is a great man. And don't you say anything, but I fear I like the boy. I know…a dangerous thing to do, given our different backgrounds and difficult future. I'm sure when all this is over, we will just go our separate ways. He'll be glad to be done with me…"_

_-0-0-0-_

_They continued their journey, stopping in Kakariko village where they gathered needed supplies. Zelda was especially grateful for clothes that she could be comfortable in and were more practical given their quest. She also carefully chose a towel in which she could get back at Link for his recent display of his assets. She had felt as though there was an imbalance in their relationship because of that, and she would just have to get that balance back by making him as flustered as she had been._

_She was rewarded that night when she wrapped the towel tightly around her and Link couldn't function all that well in her presence. She tried to mask her smugness and flattery at his flustered response to seeing her with just a towel. _

_Yes, there was balance again…_

_-0-0-0-_

_But soon enough, there was another imbalance as Link saved her life a second time. Link had to rescue her in a dangerous fight against the monster in Goron Mountain. She thought she was holding her own quite well as Link fought the monster, but was distracted fighting when a giant stone came thundering down from the cavern's ceiling. She nearly escaped the danger, thanks to Link's warning, but a rock broke free of the larger stone and hit her on the head._

_She awoke nearly a full day later. Her head ached so badly she couldn't see straight. Her vision was blurry and the lights in the room made her squint. Nevertheless, she recognized she was in the care of the Gorons based on the hard rock bed she lied on. When she was finally able to open her eyes, the first thing she could focus on was the green blur on the left side of her 'bed.' As focus came, she realized that it was Link, who had obviously fallen asleep while sitting at her bedside._

_Focus continued to come in, and Zelda was able to take a closer look at Link's face, which looked so peaceful as he slept, despite a healing cut across his cheek. She looked at the state of his clothes—burned and in shreds, and knew he was quite injured. Her heart sunk at the pain she had caused him, but it beat faster, knowing that he had chosen to be here instead of in his own bed._

_As if on cue with her train of thought, a Goron woman waddled into the room and said softly, "Oh good, you are awake! Maybe I can finally get this one to rest properly. Although," she continued sarcastically, "according to him, 'no one could possibly get any rest on these beds!' Oh, you're welcome, by the way," she mumbled in Link's direction. "For taking care of you!"_

_The Gorons helped nurse the two of them back to health for a couple of days. Zelda was so proud of Link as they approached an ancient statue of the Triforce, protected by the Gorons for centuries, and he received the Triforce of Courage. He decisively deserved it the way he so selflessly and fearlessly saved the Goron villages from the earthquakes the monster had been causing. Yes, he was certainly special._

_-0-0-0-_

_Weeks went by, and Link and Zelda continued their journey in search of the keys to a portal to the Dark Land. They caught wind in many of the towns they visited that Ganondorf had returned to the Dark Land, but that the portal he used to get there was scattered across Hyrule in seven pieces. He would return to finish his goal when Zelda returned to the castle to rule. Link and Zelda determined that the only way they could feel safe in Hyrule again was if Ganondorf was gone. So they would find the portal pieces and surprise attack him in his own land, to end the terror he caused to all of Hyrule._

_Together, they found three keys, but Zelda convinced Link to split up to obtain the final four pieces. The night before they were to split up found Link and Zelda on their backs gazing up at the night sky. Zelda didn't want to fall asleep because it would bring their separation the following day more quickly. Fortunately for her, Link was also slow to suggest they go to bed. _

_"Have you heard the story of the Loftwing?" he asked her. _

_Zelda looked at him curiously. "The Loftwing? What's that?"_

_Link looked up at the sky and pointed. "The constellation. The Loftwing. It's the shape of a giant bird."_

_Zelda looked up at the sky. "I don't see it."_

_Link scooted over so he was right up against her side. He was warm, and it felt nice to be this close to him. He then pointed up at the sky again and traced out a bird in the stars. Zelda was able to follow his motions as she leaned against his shoulder._

_"I see it! What's the story?"_

_Link thought for a moment. "It's been years since I heard my Aunt tell me, but it's about our ancestors from years and years ago. A great evil came to the land—before Hyrule was even a kingdom, I think. The goddesses heard the prayers of the people and created a world in the heavens for them to live, creating Loftwings for them to travel on._

_"They sealed the great evil in the earth, but it made the land evil and full of monsters. And after hundreds of years, the evil threatened to escape and reach above to the people who had escaped it. So one of the goddesses gave up her immortality and became a human in an attempt to defeat this evil. Together with a young hero, she defeated the evil. The two fell in love, and became King and Queen of the Kingdom of Hyrule, choosing to stay on the surface. The hero's loftwing flew back into the sky, never to be needed again, joining the stars to tell their story for all eternity."_

_Zelda looked at Link's face as he finished his story; he looked so innocent and content staring up at the sky. "How do you know so much about the stars?"_

_"My aunt and uncle, I guess. The stories have been told in my family for generations. I guess it was our way of joining in the adventure despite our boring lives," Link chuckled._

_"And now you're creating a story of your own!" Zelda said._

_"You know," Link commented. "All those years looking up at the stars, I always loved the adventures they tell of. It's no surprise I've stumbled on one of my own." He looked over at her and smiled softly. "Thanks for making it a good one."_

_Zelda smiled at Link. And in that moment, she knew she was in love._

* * *

Thanks for reading. Hopefully you remembered most of the flashbacks from previous chapters so these make more sense. We've only got one more chapter after this one! Unless you convince me to do an epilogue, of course...

Let me know what you think!


	11. Happier

Hey all! So sorry this took so long to get up. I think in my heart I didn't want to finish the story because it has been so fun to write and get your feedback. But, here it is without any further ado. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Link rushed quickly down the hallway, fighting the sting in his eyes. He knew he would be miserable, leaving her. But he also knew he couldn't keep seeing her. Every time he thought of her, his heart longed to be with her. Yet when he remembered her duties to the country, he knew it wasn't an option. So, every time he heard his army or the townsfolk say the name 'Queen Zelda,' his heart broke, simultaneously being reminded of his love and the reason he couldn't love her. And that happened quite often.

So, he charged down the stairs of the castle, brushing by several knights who saluted him and paying them no heed. He marched brusquely towards the door, pushed it violently open, and headed for the stables. He screamed within himself as he realized the _one thing_ he could not do for Zelda. Love a woman who he could not love.

_Link stepped around the corner, sword drawn. Ganondorf looked up at him and his eyes narrowed. They glared at each other for a moment, each assessing the situation. Ganondorf slowly smiled, likely concluding that Link was severely injured, and that it would take a miracle for him to lose this fight._

_"I must say," Ganondorf began, condescendingly. "Your foolishness exceeded my expectations. First, you have the gall to stand up to me on what should have been my day of victory. Then you go on a massive hunt for a portal to lead you here. Here of all places! You were planning on attacking me…here?"_

_Link didn't answer the question, asked so incredulously. Ganondorf merely laughed at the silence before continuing._

_"Then, you exhaust yourself in a battle—which you didn't find curiously difficult—and rush to your precious princess's aid before she can get herself into trouble. I must admit, boy, I did not expect you to defeat Horigim in battle. But you still fell for our trap. And you've got some heavy injuries there to prove it._

_"But to top it all off…after all of that…you still come here. You still hold on to some hope that you can rescue your princess and everything will be okay?"_

_Ganondorf left the question in the air, demanding an answer this time. Link thought about the question. Sure, when framed in this manner, Link did seem like an idiot. Truth be told, given his injuries and blood loss, it was a miracle he was standing. He didn't expect or even hope to defeat Ganondorf. It was just something he had to do._

_"I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand," Link finally said. "If even the smallest amount of you cared for someone in the slightest, you might be able to understand why I'm here. It's not about a hope that I can save her. It's a need. I would not be able to live if I didn't do everything I could for her. I might be able to eat and breath—but I wouldn't be living. There is not one thing I wouldn't do for her, so I plan on doing all that I can, even dying."_

_Ganondorf's smile had faded. Replacing it was pure rage. "Then die you shall."_

_Ganondorf charged at Link, who raised his sword as mightily as he could muster in his weakened state. Ganondorf swung his blade high, and it clashed with the Master Sword. A loud clang echoed in the great hall as Link fell to the ground. He rolled away quickly, though his movements were relatively slow and his body would not respect his mind's wishes as it previously had._

_Link rose back to his legs just in time to bat a ball of purple energy away with his sword. Ganondorf shouted angrily as the Master Sword succeeded where Link's previous sword had failed. So, he went back to his previous attack plan and charged Link again. In just a few minutes, Link found his strength exhausted. He could no longer fend off the brute strength of Ganondorf, and his slower motions allowed for an easy strike. After blocking a strong swing of Ganondorf's sword, Link felt Ganondorf's elbow come crashing into his head. His vision initially blurred from the blow to the head, but the reason for the blurring was soon replaced by blood flowing past his eyebrows._

_His mind now fuzzy, Link soon felt his injured side being pummeled by Ganondorf's fists. Apparently, Ganondorf had dropped his sword to make Link's end more personal, prolonged, and humiliating. Crying out in pain, Link lashed out in one last futile attempt to slay the monster. This left him wide open as he missed his target, and Ganondorf thrust his knee into Link's gut, dropping him to the ground._

_It was over, Link recognize, as he tried his hardest to move. But he had done all he could. Even die for her._

Link finished saddling up Epona as he shook his head clear of the awful memory. Yes, there had been a time when he thought he could do anything for her. But unrequited or impossible love, he could not do.

So, he hopped on Epona's back, and urged her forward. And when he heard Zelda's voice shouting to him to stop, he pressed forward. Epona trotted out the back of the stables as Zelda reached the front opening. Hearing Zelda's second cry to halt, Epona slowed down. Link, cringing in hurt, pressed her forward.

They moved quickly out of the castle grounds towards Castletown, though Link suspected Epona of slowing down more than she normally would as they passed through the market place to reach the drawbridge.

Link was still surprised, however, when he heard Zelda's shout one more time. He turned his head to see her flying down the hill behind him on her own horse, riding bareback. Link turned forward angrily and tried to urge Epona forward. Why wouldn't she just let him leave and find solace in being away from her?

Zelda caught up to Link as he neared the drawbridge out of Castletown. Epona was misbehaving, and would only travel at a light trot despite Link's urgings to move faster.

"Link, I need you to stop and talk to me."

He kept going, out of the main entrance and onto the drawbridge. "I can't, Zelda. I can't do this anymore, it will destroy me."

"Well then stop thinking about yourself!"

Link stopped his horse just on the drawbridge and turned to stare open-mouthed at Zelda. He began speaking as he dismounted Epona. "Stop thinking of myself? For months, that's what I've been doing. I've been doing everything I can for you, even though it was killing me. I know I can't be a King for you or this people.

Zelda had dismounted at this point, and Link got right in her face to finish his thought in a raised voice. "But the people needed me for something else, so I stuck around despite how much it ate at me to see you every week. I trained an army, even though I couldn't eat. I read through hundreds of tax laws and protocol even though I wasn't sleeping. And even though I couldn't think straight, by the goddesses grace, I strategized to save this country. You don't know what it's been like—"

"Of course I do," Zelda interjected. "I've been going through the same thing as you, Link."

This silenced Link, so she continued. "It's been months since I was happy. When I saw you kneel down when I was made queen. I haven't been happy since then because all I can think about is how I want to be with you, but you can't possibly want the life that comes with that. And all this time as you ran from me and avoided me, I just thought you were telling me that you don't want to be where you are. In the castle, in the government, and with me. But then you tell me you love me? And you kiss me like that? And…"

She trailed off, having worked herself up. She took a couple of deep breaths. Link spoke before she did.

"So what are you saying, Zelda?"

She thought for a moment before responding. "I want you back at the castle, Link."

Link shook his head angrily. "You don't understand…that's the _one_ thing I can't do. I can't be there _for_ you and not be _with_ you!"

"No, Link. _You_ don't understand. You were right, just now. When you said the people needed you. They still do. And I still do, too. What am I saying? I'm saying I want you to be my king."

Link tried to process the information he had received while also trying to contain the conflicting emotions he was experiencing. Joy and hope that she wanted him. Fear and insecurity that she wanted him to be King.

Link's voice quieted as he softly spoke, "Zelda…I can't be a King. I can't do what your father did. I can't—"

Zelda put her finger on his lips tenderly. "You don't have to do what my father did. _We_ do, together. And given your ability to sift through tax legislature and find solutions, to train and lead armies, and to keep me safe and happy, I think we can make you into the greatest king Hyrule has ever seen."

"But…"

Zelda cut him off one last time. "And I will be by your side the whole time."

And with that, Link could not find a problem. For several long moments he racked his brain for an excuse to make. But he realized that any insecurity he felt over kingship was drowned by the notion of being with her. He reached forward, and grabbed her hand.

"Then I accept, Zelda, under that one condition. Will you be by my side forever? Will you be my wife?"

"Nothing would make me happier for the rest of my life," she responded. Link wrapped his hands around her waist, pulled her as close to him as he could, and kissed her. In that moment, feeling the love that Zelda had for him in her kiss, Link knew that being a king would turn out just fine. He realized that once more, there wasn't a thing in this world that he wouldn't do for her.

* * *

Let me know what you thought! I would love to hear it, and I really hope you've enjoyed reading just half as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Also, if you ask hard enough, there may just be an epilogue in this story's future!


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